Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear
by Dozo14
Summary: The Halliwells find themselves confronting their greatests fears when Barbas returns and teams up with The Source of All Evil. Secrets from the past will be revealed that could cause the trust between the cousins to be permanently destroyed.
1. Chapter 1

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Xxx

In a dark cavern in the Underworld scarcely lit by a few burning candles, a beautiful young woman with olive skin and long brown curls was walking around a basin filled with a metallic silver liquid. She was dressed in a revealing and torn dress while a pendant that resembled a purple flower was hanging from her neck down to her revealing cleavage. She gently stroked the pendant as she let one finger ripple through the basin. It showed her many things and she knew what was going to happen. For this reason, she was not surprised when she heard a scream coming from a tunnel followed instantly by the sound of a small explosion.

A man dressed in a long black coat entered the cavern. He resembled a handsome young man with olive skin and short black hair, though his pitch black eyes revealed he was something far more evil. He was, after all, the Source of All Evil.

"I have found you at last, Seer." The Source said as flames appeared in his eyes, before they returned to a more human brown color.

"As I foresaw you would." The Seer replied calmly, even though she knew the Source wanted to kill her for disappointing him several weeks ago.

"And you decided to remain here anyway?" The Source asked as he raised his hand and summoned a metallic fire ball.

"If you truly wanted to kill me, you could have hunted me down weeks ago." The Seer said. "I suspect you are here for something else."

"And what would that be?" The Source asked sceptically.

"You spent the last couple of weeks reclaiming power in the Underworld, returning to your former status." The Seer said as she observed past events in her basin. "But there is still one threat out there that you are not yet willing to face, the Halliwells."

"They are not a threat to me, the Charmed Ones are long dead and the cousins are scattered." The Source replied as he clenched his fist and made the fire ball disappear in a puff of smoke.

"So why have you not yet killed them?" The Seer asked challenging. "Are you concerned your power is not yet great enough, or is there something inside stopping you?"

"What exactly are you suggesting?" The Source asked with a glare.

"Do not forget, I know your true nature and that of the body you have taken over." The Seer said. "Are you sure you are in complete control of it? Or is something stirring inside?"

"How dare you?!" The Source screamed angrily as he threw a fire ball at the Seer, which she easily avoided by moving her head slightly to the left. "This body is nothing but an empty vessel, nothing more!"

"Very well, I will take your word for it." The Seer said rather unimpressed and unconvincingly. "So what is it you are truly after?"

"Like you said, I am not certain I possess enough power for a direct confrontation yet." The Source said. "I seek something to destroy the Halliwells fast and most preferably painful."

"You no longer seemed trust in my dark magic last time we met." The Seer said. "What makes you think this time will be different? And how will this benefit me exactly?"

"You may think you know everything about me, but I know plenty about you as well." The Source explained. "I know what you truly desire more than anything."

A flicker of doubt appeared on the Seer's face and she clutched the pendant around her neck tightly. The Source smiled, amused that he had been able to catch the infamous Seer off guard for an instant, though she quickly recovered and assumed her usual persona.

"Give me something I can use to destroy the Halliwells and I will help you attain the thing you have been searching for all these centuries." The Source offered.

"Do not play me for a fool." The Seer replied angrily. "What I seek cannot be obtained easily, not even by you. You have nothing to offer me and you tried to kill me last time I helped you."

"Only because you failed me." The Source remarked with a faint smile.

"I will not help you again." The Seer said. "You are on your own."

Before the Source could react, the Seer started to disappear in streams of black smoke. The Source screamed angrily and threw a stream of fire at her, which passed through her already transparent form. The Seer smiled and winked at him before she disappeared completely. Furiously, the Source threw a fire ball at the metallic basin and caused it to explode into a million tiny fragments.

"Well, well, well." A chillingly amused voice sounded through the cavern. "Quite the temper."

"Who is there?" The Source asked as he looked around. "Show yourself."

Unknown to the Source of All Evil, an invisible astral figure appeared behind him and smiled amused. The figure was a tall and slender man dressed in black with chaotic white and grey hair, bright grey eyes and revolting yellowish teeth. He waved his hand over the Source and it glowed in a white light.

"So many enemies lurking in the shadows, always after your power." The figure spoke. "Who can you trust? How long will your reign last this time? It seems that even the most evil of us fear something."

In a sudden move, the Source spun around to grab the astral figure by the throat. However, he was unable to touch it and his hand moved through the astral spectre, which then disappeared.

"Barbas." The Source whispered in pure contempt. "Show yourself."

A fiendish laughed filled the cavern and a transparent form of the Demon of Fear appeared before the Source of All Evil.

"Why are you here?" The Source asked. "I thought you were still trapped in purgatory."

"You believe you are the only one who can crawl back into the land of the living?" Barbas asked. "You should know better than most that just like evil, you can never truly kill fear."

"What do you want?" The Source asked.

"Well, if you want to get straight to business, not all of us have pretty new bodies to return to." Barbas said as he breezed his hand through the Source's face, who stepped back with an uncomfortable look. "I overheard you're having a witch problem. I can help you with that."

"I don't want your help." The Source said resolutely.

"And why is that?" Barbas asked. "All these centuries and not once have we worked together. Why do you suppose that is?"

"Because you revolt me." The Source remarked.

"Maybe." Barbas said as he disappeared and reappeared behind the Source to whisper in his ear. "Or maybe it's because deep down, you know that true fear is the only thing stronger than pure evil."

"You're delusional." The Source said as he stepped away from the astral demon.

"Alright, alright." Barbas said as he turned around and started to walk away. "I have made you an offer, it is up to you to accept or refuse it. I am sure that the Halliwells will wait until you're powerful enough to face them directly."

'Wait." The Source said after a moment of hesitation. "What do you want?"

"Well, it's not so much what I want as what I need." Barbas said as he appeared before the Source. "As you can see, I am rather indisposed at the moment in the body department. I can project myself here and sure I can read some fears, but in order to go after the witches, I will require a slight power boost."

"You think I will grant you my power?" The Source asked. "You truly are mad."

"Only a sliver, enough to take physical shape and reclaim my own power." Barbas said as he moved closer to the Source, until their faces nearly touched. "Let me in, you will barely feel a thing."

"Fine, as long as you take down the Halliwells." The Source said revolted. "Just be quick about it."

The Demon of Fear laughed as he rose in the air slightly and dissolved in a smoke-like figure that entered the Source's body. The Source groaned in pain as he fell to his knee and his body glowed in a white light for a moment. A stream of smoke then emerged from his nostrils and rose into the air, taking the shape of a restored Barbas in his physical form.

"You had better not betray me." The Source said coughing.

Barbas merely smirked before disappearing from the cavern in a puff of smoke. The Source rose to his feet and felt a little weak after his magical power had been drained by the vile demon. After what he had just been through, the Demon of Fear had better keep his word, otherwise nothing in this plane or any other would stop him from ensuring he would suffer for all eternity. The Source's eyes flames for a short moment as they turned pitch black. He then disappeared from the cavern in intense flames.

Xxx

On a rainy Friday night, Wyatt Halliwell returned home to the manor after a short photo-shoot for a small magazine. Without turning on the lights, the tall blonde took off his coat and carefully carried his bag with expensive equipment into the conservatory. He stopped when he suddenly heard noises coming from the living room. He knew Chris was working a late shift at the hospital. Perhaps Henry was home, but then why weren't the lights on? He slowly walked across the hall when he suddenly heard a loud scream.

Wyatt charged into the living room ready to fight off whatever evil had attacked, though he was surprised by a loud laughter instead. He turned on the lights and saw his younger cousins Henry Jr. and Payton lying on the couch in front of the TV watching some cheesy horror flick. They looked up in surprise when the lights turned on.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you until later." Henry said as he paused the film.

"I finished early, I thought you guys were heading to some party?" Wyatt asked.

"Yeah, that was a total bust." Henry remarked.

"Basically, the mom of the guy who was throwing the party had found his alcohol stash right before the party started, so the entire thing was cancelled." Payton explained.

"Wait, alcohol, you guys are underaged." Wyatt called out. "You shouldn't be drinking."

"Oh please, like you've never done that while you were a teenager." Henry remarked and he turned the film back on.

"I am serious." Wyatt said as he stepped in front of the TV. "Yeah sure, I have done stupid things when I was a kid as well, but I had my parents to look after me. Payton, your parents are on a book tour for months and Henry, your parents left me and Chris in charge of you. You guys should act a little more responsible."

"Seriously?" Henry asked as he paused the film again. "Why are you being so difficult?"

"Because I am supposed to be responsible for you." Wyatt said.

"Wyatt, come on. It was one party and we didn't even get to drink." Payton said. "And even if we did, we're responsible enough to make that decision ourselves. We're practically adults."

"But you're not." Wyatt said. "I mean, out of all the stupid high school kids out there, you should be the ones who are extra careful."

"Why? Because we're witches?" Payton asked.

"Yeah exactly." Wyatt replied. "Trust me, I know what I am talking about. A demon once nearly killed all my friends when I snuck out to a party in high school."

"When? We never heard about that." Payton said confused.

Wyatt realized he should not have just said that, as the events surrounding that night had been kept a secret from his siblings and cousins for a long time. His mother and aunts had decided it was for the best, as it was one of the darkest and most troubling things Wyatt had ever been through, and the truth was not easy to accept.

"It's not really important." Wyatt said, desperate to change the subject. "So what are you guys watching?"

"Horror movie classic, it's pretty old to the special effects suck." Henry replied. "It just started if you want to join us."

"No thanks, I think I am heading to bed." Wyatt said. "Payton, are you staying over?"

"I think so, I'll text my sisters and let them know." Payton said.

"Okay, have fun with your movie." Wyatt said.

As Wyatt walked up the stairs, he heard his younger cousins laughing at the film. Luckily, they were distracted and had not asked too many questions about the thing he let slip. He promised his mother never to talk about it, and he did not want to remember it either. It was the reason he was no longer the Twice-Blessed and did not even possess half the magical power he used to.

Luckily, his siblings and cousins were away when it happened and most of them were too young to realize what had changed. Only Chris had been suspicious, though his parents had managed to get his mind off it. However, with the things that had happened the last few weeks, Chris had started to become suspicious again. His younger brother knew that something had happened then. He especially could not find out the truth, as it could ruin everything. Wyatt set his mind to other things and headed upstairs to get some sleep.

xxx

About halfway through the film, Payton started getting a little cold, so she got up and grabbed a blanket from the closet under the stairs. Even though she would never admit it, she actually thought it was pretty scary. It was stupid, she had faced evil demons, yet she was afraid of a fictional serial killer. She wrapped the blanket around her and walked back to the couch, though when she got there, the film was paused and Henry was gone.

"Henry?" Payton whispered.

"Yeah?" A voice suddenly said behind her causing her to shriek.

Payton spun around and saw Henry standing behind her with a bowl of popcorn, trying to hold in his laugh at her reaction.

"Don't tell me you're actually scared?" Henry remarked.

"Of course not, just a little jumpy and tired." Payton replied annoyed as she softly pushed him.

"So what was up with Wyatt, becoming all parental all of the sudden?" Henry asked as they sat back down on the couch.

"I don't know." Payton said. "I think it has something to do with being the oldest. He always had to be the responsible one. Maybe after what happened to aunt Piper and our mothers leaving, he just wants to protect the family."

"I guess." Henry replied. "Let's finish the movie. I think the killer is about to attack at prom. I mean, talk about a cliché."

"Then why are we watching it?" Payton asked. "You're the film expert, why didn't you pick a better one?"

"Because this one is really bloody." Henry said with a shrug. "Besides, it's a classic. Cinderhella is one of the rare female serial killer franchises."

"Yeah, great female role model." Payton whispered in an annoyed tone as Henry started the film again.

As they continued the film, Payton repeatedly buried her face in her blanket while blood spattered across the screen, while all Henry did was laugh and criticize the bad special effects. Eventually, Payton just stopped paying attention to the film and realized she was actually becoming pretty tired. After a little while, her eyes fell closed and she dozed off to sleep.

Xxx

Unknown to the unsuspecting witches, the Demon of Fear appeared in the hallway of the manor in a cloud of smoke. Barbas looked around and senses the presence of three witches in the house. He could already taste their delicious fears, though one of them was especially scared at the moment. He followed the scent of the fear and was led to the living room, where the screen of the TV cast a blue light into the room. Two of the youngest Halliwell witches were lying on the couch and both had fallen asleep. They looked so sweet and peaceful, like innocent little children. Barbas could not wait to bring their worst fears to life.

Barbas walked around the couch with a hand raised, which glowed in a white light as he held them over the sleeping witches. The boy was having a dream that could be expected of a dirty teenaged mind, while the girl was having a troubling nightmare and was stirring in her sleep. Barbas stopped and observed her nightmare more closely. Something about a serial killer attacking a high school prom. It was rather amusing, though a little predictable for his taste. However, he possessed the power to change all of that with a simple wave of his hand.

Xxx

Payton had always known prom would be the most beautiful night of her life. As she entered the high school gym, which was decorated in a classical movies theme, she looked down and found herself in the most beautiful light blue dress she had ever seen.

"Payton, there you are." A charming voice sounded.

Payton looked up and saw the most handsome boy in school walking toward her. He had blonde hair and blue eyes like the sea. He looked amazing in his tuxedo and held a beautiful white corsage. Payton smiled and walked toward him. He kissed her hand and wanted to place the corsage around her wrist, but stopped as he suddenly made a gurgling sound.

Payton looked up and saw blood dripping from his mouth as he reached for his throat. There was a red line around his neck and a strange figure standing behind him. Suddenly the stranger grabbed his head and ripped it off, causing blood to spray from his neck. Payton was shocked as her dress was covered in blood and she looked up to saw Cinderhella standing before her, holding a bloody knife in one hand and the head of her date in the other. She screamed.

Xxx

With a gasp, Payton awoke from her nightmare and sat up. It had all seemed so real, she could practically feel the blood on her and she checked to make sure it wasn't there. She looked beside her but Henry was gone. She stood up and walked to the hallway when she suddenly felt a chill. When she looked around, she noticed the front door was wide open. From the corner of her eye, she saw something move behind her and turned around. She screamed as Cinderhella charged at her with her bloody knife raised in the air.

Xxx


	2. Chapter 2

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Part 2

Xxx

After a long and tiring night shift at the hospital, Chris Halliwell walked up to the steps of the Halliwell manor as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. When he reached the front door, he reached for his keys and raised them to the lock, he was surprised to find the front door wide open. When he looked inside, he saw Payton lying on the floor in the middle of the hall.

"Payton!" Chris called out in a panic and he ran inside and kneeled down next to her.

Chris' medical training kicked in and he instantly checked if she was still breathing, which luckily she was. He tried not to move her as he checked for injuries and tried to wake her up by calling her name. At the same time, Henry came running in from the living room with a tired expression, while Wyatt stormed down the stairs dressed in just a shirt and boxers, probably having been woken up by Chris' yelling.

"What is going on?" Wyatt called out before he saw Payton. "Is she alright?"

"I just found her like this." Chris said before turning to Henry. "What happened?"

"I don't know, we were watching a movie last night and I must have fallen asleep." Henry said worried. "Will she be alright?"

"As far as I can tell, she is just asleep." Chris replied. "Payton, come on, wake up."

Wyatt quickly checked if she was still breathing, and let out a relieved sigh when he found out she was. She just appeared to be asleep. At that moment, Henry came running in front the living room, looking very sleepy.

Payton shook in her sleep and suddenly sprang up screaming. Chris quickly grabbed her and tried to get her to calm down, though his younger cousin seemed to be terrified. Meanwhile, Wyatt walked over to the front door and closed it.

"Payton, calm down." Chris said. "What is going on?"

"She tried to kill me!" Payton called out in terror.

"Who?" Wyatt and Henry both asked.

"Cinderhella!" Payton called out.

As he helped Payton up on her feet, Chris wondered if it was some new demon he had never heard off and exchanged looks with a confused Wyatt. However, Henry suddenly started laughing like it was funny somehow.

"Henry, what the hell?" Wyatt called out.

"Cinderhella is a serial killer in the movie we watched last night." Henry explained. "She just had a bad dream."

"It was not a dream." Payton said annoyed. "She was here, I saw her. I woke up, walked over here and the door was open. Then she attacked me."

"So why are you not hurt?" Henry asked. "And why is there no trace of her? You were just having a nightmare. Just admit the movie freaked you out."

"I am telling you, it was real." Payton said as she turned to the others. "You guys believe me, don't you?"

"Payton, I think Henry is right." Wyatt replied with a sigh. "There is no trace of this Cinderhella. I think you were just having a nightmare and were sleepwalking."

"Yeah, there isn't rally much to go on." Chris added. "Maybe you were sleepwalking or something."

"I… I could swear it was real." Payton said hesitantly as she started to doubt herself.

"It's okay, next time, we'll watch something that is not so scary." Henry said mockingly, like she was a little kid or something.

"Shut up!" Payton called out angrily and she went to grab her coat and bag. "Wyatt, can you please orb me home?"

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Wyatt asked.

"I'll be fine, it was probably nothing." Payton replied with a sigh.

Wyatt waved his hand and Payton disappeared from the manor in a bright column of orbs. He then turned around and hit a smirking Henry across the head.

"Aw, what was that for?" Henry called out angrily.

"For being annoying." Wyatt replied. "She was terrified and you were making fun."

"Oh, come on." Henry said. "Admit, it was a little funny."

"Whatever, I am going to take a shower, I need to get to the magazine to deliver the photos in an hour." Wyatt said annoyed as he headed up the stairs.

Meanwhile Chris grew silent as he pondered what had happened. Sure everyone had a nightmare now and again, but sleepwalking like this was not that average. Perhaps this was not just a dream. Or perhaps he was just being neurotic. After all, not everything that happened to them was something magical. He decided to let it go for now, since there was little to go on.

"What is up with you?" Henry asked as he looked at Chris.

"Nothing, it's probably nothing." Chris replied. "I am going to bed, I've only had about an hour of sleep last night."

"Okay, I'll keep it down." Henry said. "Oh, before I forget, my mom is sending some of my old stuff over. It should be delivered today."

"I'll keep an eye out if I'm awake." Chris said. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Not really, but just in case." Henry remarked.

"Okay, see you later." Chris replied as he headed upstairs.

As an unknowing Chris walked across the hallway, the astral form of Barbas appeared behind him and followed him to his room. For a moment Chris stopped when he got a bad feeling and turned around. However, there was nothing there and he shrugged it off. Barbas smiled as held out his hand, causing a white light to emerge from it.

"_Let's see what you fear_." Barbas whispered as he searched through Chris' mind. "_Boring, boring, predictable, ah, this could be interesting. You fear that your brother is hiding something, something there has not made sense for a long time and the doubt the eating away at you, as much as you try to deny it. Very interesting, now there is something I can work with!_"

Barbas came closer to Chris and started to whisper into his ear, whispering suggestive thoughts to grow the seeds of doubts that were already there. He then grinned and disappeared.

As Chris headed into his bedroom, he suddenly found himself thinking about his brother and everything that had happened recently. It always came back to when they were younger, when Wyatt lost a huge part of his power in some freak accident. At least that is what his family had told him. However, Odin had recently made some remarks concerning Wyatt that had troubled Chris. There was something that was being kept secret, and the more he thought about it, the more he started to suspect it was something very important.

Xxx

That same morning, Prue Halliwell made her way across downtown in a taxi. Ever since starting out as a reporter, she had been obsessed with work and wanted to write amazing stories. However, as a newbie she got stuck with the kind of stories that were not exactly headline material. At the moment, she was underway to a mall to interview the founders of a local jewellery line that had recently became popular when a teen sensation was seen wearing their pieces.

When she arrived at the mall, she saw a small crowd of people had gathered around a store where the jewellery line was being presented. Prue was sent to report about the presentation and had a private interview planned right after. As she made her way through the crowd, she was suddenly caught off guard by sadness and pain. She knew her empathic power had kicked in, but then the feeling disappeared again. She looked around, but could not sense it anymore. At that moment, the presentation started and she focussed on other things.

After the presentation, Prue made her way to the founders of the line, which were two young women. One was a beautiful blonde while the other was a beautiful Indian girl.

"Hi, my name is Prue Halliwell, from the Bay Mirror." Prue said as she held out her hand. "We had an interview planned."

"Oh, yes, hi." The blonde said as she shook her hand. "My name is Caroline and this is my business partner Kelly. Nice to meet you."

"Yes, nice to meet you and I have to say, I love your jewellery." Prue said, the liked the pieces, but it was more about making them feel comfortable. 'Shall we get some coffee and get started?"

Prue walked the women over to a coffee stand and brought them coffee. They then sat down at a table and Prue began her interview. It was a fun conversation and Prue soon forgot about the sad feeling. When Prue had gathered enough information, she thanked the women for their time and ended the interview. However, as she stood up and shook their hands, she suddenly got the sad feeling again. Prue looked over her shoulder and saw a tall young man about her age with reddish blonde hair looking at them from a distance. The sadness was definitely coming from him.

"I'm sorry, do you know that guy over there?" Prue asked.

"I don't see anyone." Caroline replied.

"He is right…" Prue said as she turned around, only to discover the guy had disappeared. "There. Never mind, must be my imagination."

Prue said goodbye to the women and gathered her stuff, making sure all her notes were in order.

When she looked up, the saw the guy from before looking at Caroline and Kelly as they walked away. When they passed, he looked at Caroline with a heartbroken face as he held out his hand, though it passed right through her. Prue gasped and suddenly realized what she was dealing with. She was looking at a ghost.

xxx

In the afternoon, Wyatt returned home to the manor after dropping off the pictures at the magazine. They were happy with his work and promised to ask him again if they needed another shoot, so he was quite happy with his work. When he headed up the stairs, he noticed a large box at the front door and took it with him inside. When he put it on the table, he saw it as addressed to Henry, so he called out his younger cousin's name. A few moments later, Henry came in from the kitchen.

"Hey, what's up?" Henry asked.

"A package for you." Wyatt said.

"I didn't hear them drop it off." Henry said as he grabbed the box. "Probably the stuff my mom was sending over."

"Don't you have enough junk lying around here?" Wyatt remarked.

Henry walked over to the living room and sat down on the couch as he started to open the box. Meanwhile, Wyatt put away his coat and camera equipment, though he jolted when he suddenly heard Henry screaming in a panic, following by a loud thump. Wyatt swung around and saw Henry quite literally jumping up on the couch and tripping over it, falling on the floor.

"What happened?" Wyatt asked confused.

"Is this some sick joke?" Henry called out angrily as he got back up. "Did you do this?!" He added as he pointed at the box.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Wyatt said as he walked over to the table.

Wyatt looked down in the box and supressed a slight chuckle. Inside the box was a clown dummy that recognized as belonging to his aunt Paige. He also knew that Henry had been freaked out by clowns ever since he was a little kid, which he and Chris had used against him more than once. Wyatt picked up the doll, which was called Slappy, and held it up to Henry.

"Get that thing away from me!" Henry warned him.

"I never understood why this thing freaked you out so much." Wyatt said as he played with it.

"Clowns are just pure evil. They're creepy as hell." Henry replied. "Alright, joke is over, put that thing away."

"I did not do this." Wyatt said. "Perhaps your mom sent it over by accident or something."

"Well, it is not staying here." Henry said determined.

"But you thought it was funny when Payton was scared." Wyatt said. "Now who is acting like a little kid?"

"This is different." Henry replied as he walked over and grabbed the clown, throwing it back in the box before he headed upstairs.

"Oh, Henry, come on." Wyatt called out with a smile. "I am only kidding."

Wyatt shook his head and looked at the box, wondering why Paige had sent it over. Probably just an accident, he thought. He headed over to the stairs, though stopped for a moment when he thought he suddenly heard a faint circus music. He looked around, but everything as quiet, so he shrugged and headed upstairs. Unknown to him, the clown turned its head and watched him leave with a creepy grin on its face.

Xxx

Back at her parents' apartment, Payton Halliwell sat on the couch watching TV and yawned. She was still tired after the horrible nightmare she had and thinking about it still sent chills down her spine. She could have sworn Cinderhella was really there at the manor, though the more she thought about it, she realized she was making a fool of herself. Of course movie serial killers were not real, that was ridiculous. She decided to try to forget about it.

One of the bedroom doors opened and Penny came out dressed in a black top and tight jeans, with a fashionable brown jacket over it. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed something to drink.

"Did you just wake up?" Payton asked.

"Yeah, I got in late." Penny replied. "When did you get here, I thought you were spending the night at the manor?"

"I asked Wyatt to orb me home." Payton said.

"Did something happen?" Penny asked.

"I just had a bad night of sleep." Payton said. "So what have you been up to last night?"

"Oh, I went to this frat party." Penny said as she dropped down on the couch.

"So?" Payton asked.

"Yeah, it was fun. I met up with this guy I hooked up with a few times before." Penny replied. "It's just that things got a little awkward when his girlfriend showed up."

"Oh, Penny, you didn't." Payton called out. "You knew he had a girlfriend and you still… you know."

"We were having a thing long before they got together." Penny said. "Anyway, we were dancing and she showed up and started freaking out."

"So what did you do?" Payton asked.

"Well, part of me wanted to slap the bitch." Penny said. "But ever since the big fight and all, I've been trying to change. I don't want to be the screw-up anymore. I've gotten in plenty of fights already."

"Well, good for you." Payton said. "You're not a screw-up, you know."

"Thanks, little sis." Penny said with a smile. "I need to get going though, since part of not being a screw-up is passing my courses, which means I have to finish my term paper. So I am going to campus to get some work done."

"Alright, I think I am going to catch up on some sleep." Payton replied.

The sisters both got up and hugged. Penny then grabbed her bag and headed out the door, while Payton stretched and cleaned up the dishes. When she was finished, she headed toward the bedroom, but decided halfway through that she wanted to take a shower first. As she headed toward the bathroom, she suddenly heard the apartment door. She turned around and noticed it was on a crack. She walked over and closed it, thinking that Penny probably didn't close it properly.

After a nice and steaming hot shower, Payton wrapped a warm and fluffy towel around her and dried her hair. With her arm, she wiped the steam off the mirror and suddenly saw the disfigured face of Cinderhella behind her. Payton screamed and fell through her knees as she turned around, feeling a sharp cut of a blade across her arm as she covered her face.

When she moved her arms and looked around, Cinderhella was nowhere to be seen. She quickly got up and checked the bathroom door, though it was locked. For a moment she thought she was losing her mind, but then she felt a sharp pain in her arm and noticed a large bleeding cut.

Xxx

In the underworld, the Source impatiently paced around a large fire burning in a metal cauldron. As his frustration grew, the fire increased until finally he screamed out Barbas' name. The fire exploded in flames and dissipated, causing the cavern to grow dark with the exception of a few torches. A stream of smoke rose up from the cauldron and took the shape of Barbas.

"You rang?" Barbas asked.

"What the hell is taking so long?" the Source said angrily. "I granted you a portion of my power with the intend that you destroy the Halliwells."

"And that is what I intent to do." Barbas replied.

"Then just do it, I've had enough of these foolish games and mind tricks." The Source called out. "I want them destroyed now!"

"Ah, but fear needs to be grown and cultivated." Barbas explained. "Their minds will fill with doubts and fear until they will lose their minds. Then I will strike and put terror in their hearts."

"So how do you propose this will end?" the Source asked.

"Oh, I can assure you it will be quite a spectacular finale." Barbas promised. "I will destroy the Halliwells, but not before I will destroy their trust in each other. I have sensed the fears of Wyatt and Chris and I will play them out against each other, let them destroy each other."

"Good, they deserve it." the Source said determined.

"Bitter, are we?" Barbas remarked with a frown.

"Get out!" the Source warned him. "And do not come back until all the Halliwells are destroyed."

A mischievous smile formed on Barbas' lips and he took a bow and disappeared in a puff of black smoke. The Source waved his hand and a fire erupted from the cauldron. He stared into the flames and could not wait until he was rid of the witches. When they were gone, he would once again rise and take not just the Underworld, but the entire world itself. But first, he wanted the Halliwells to suffer. He needed them to suffer and die, so he could be free of them.

xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 3

Xxx

Penny Halliwell sat in the large library of her college, working on her term paper behind one of the computers. The rest of the library was deserted, to she had the peace and quiet she needed to really focus. Her party lifestyle had an effect on her grades and she needed to pass this term paper on psychology in order to pass her class. Otherwise, she would be forced to drop out. However, she had missed so much classes that she was really struggling trying to get the words on paper.

When she heard some noises, Penny looked up and saw the one person she did not want to see. Olivia was the blonde head of a sorority and a struck-up whatever. Penny had gotten on her bad side after hooking up with her boyfriend a few times, even though it had started before they were even dating. Penny had ran into her last night at a party as well, though she had avoided the confrontation. However, this time there was no avoiding her.

"Hi, Olivia." Penny said in a fake friendly tone when she dropped her books by the computer across from hers.

"God, what are you even doing here?" Olivia asked annoyed.

"Uh, it is a public library, I am writing my term paper." Penny replied.

"Really, don't you just sleep with your professor to get a good grade?" Olivia remarked. "At least that is what the rumors are saying."

"Gee, and I wonder who started those rumors." Penny said accusingly.

"Well, where there is smoke…" Olivia said with a shrug as she opened her books.

"So how is your boyfriend?" Penny asked provokingly.

"Shut up." Olivia replied. "Whatever you had going on, it's over, so stay away from him."

"That is not what he said last night." Penny replied. "Seems like you're just not enough for him."

"You bitch." Olivia replied loudly as she stood up and slammed her hand on the table. "You think that you're funny? Everyone in this school knows you're a total slut. Guys are only interested because they know you're easy."

"You had better shut up now." Penny warned her as she stood up as well.

"Why, can't handle the truth?" Olivia asked. "Everyone knows what you truly are. Just a little skank that drinks and sleeps her way through college. You're worthless."

Penny clenched her fists and supressed the strong urge to punch her in the face. She knew that Olivia came from a rich family and her daddy would hire a lawyer the moment she laid a finger on her. Meanwhile, her words hit her hard. She already feared everyone saw her like that, that she was worth nothing. She worried that even her family saw her like that. That was exactly the reason she was trying to change. She needed to get out of there before she lost it. She would not give Olivia the satisfaction.

"You know what, Olivia?" Penny said as she logged off on the computer. "Perhaps if you would actually put out, your boyfriend wouldn't have to sleep with half the girls on campus. Or did you really think I was the only one?"

Olivia gasped in shock and searched for a comeback, though Penny ignored her and grabbed her stuff before heading out. As she walked down the hallway, she passed a few other girls who gave her a dirty look and quickly kept walking. She knew she had a reputation, but now it felt like everyone thought that badly about her and it started to freak her out.

Unknown to Penny, the astral form of Barbas appeared behind her and smiled at her obvious discomfort. He held out his hand and a white light revealed her deepest fears. He walked closer and started to whisper in her ear.

"_Everyone knows the truth about you. They all see you're not worth their time. You're a screw-up, the disappointment of the family. You will never be as good as your sisters_." Barbas whispered.

Barbas grinned as a tear rolled down Penny's cheek as his words sank into her mind, believing the thoughts were her own. Barbas waved his hand and the illusion of dozens of students coming out of classrooms appeared, filling the hallway. All were giving Penny dirty looks and avoided her, making her feel isolated and alone.

"_One of your worst fears is that people think badly about you_." Barbas whispered. "_And as a telepath, you fear that one day, you will not be able to shut out their thoughts, that all their horrible thoughts about you will flood in_."

With a snap of his fingers, Penny felt herself losing control over her telepathic powers and she could hear the thoughts of everyone around her as they looked at her with disgust. She froze as the negative thoughts overwhelmed her. They were all thinking these horrible things about her, that she was nothing but a slut and a drunk, that she was sleeping with all the guys in school, even the professors. They thought she was worthless and that she would never achieve anything.

Penny pressed her hands against her ears to try to shut out the thoughts, but they kept flooding in. She fell to her knees as she started to cry. Between the faces in the crowd, she saw her sisters and her parents, even her cousins, and they all thought the same. She was a disappointment, a stain of the family. She heard her mother thinking that she would never live up to her sisters.

Penny screamed as she fell down on the floor and tried to block out the thoughts. A cleaning lady hearing her came out of the bathroom and tried to calm her down, but Penny could not even hear her. Barbas stood leaning over her with a big grin on his face. He had so missed this fun.

Xxx

Prue Halliwell walked around the mall searching for the ghost she had seen before. She had been too stunned before and he disappeared before she could reach him but she knew there was a reason that she had seen him in the first place, meaning she was probably meant to help him. He had seemed so sad and heartbroken if made her feel horrible.

As she kept walking around, Prue got a call from Payton, but clicked her away. She had to find this ghost first. Just when she was about to give up, she as him sitting on a bench near a fountain. She walked over to him and sat down next to him. He was handsome young man, her age or slightly older, with reddish blonde hair and a strong jaw. For a moment, the ghost did not seem to notice her, though he was shocked when he realized she was looking at him.

"You can see me?" the ghost asked surprised.

"Yes, I can." Prue replied casually as she looked around, not wanting people to think she was talking to herself.

"So what are you, a psychic or a witch?" the ghost asked.

"I am a witch." Prue replied. "But wait, how do you know about witches?"

"I used to be one before I got murdered." The ghost replied saddened.

"So you know you're dead. How long have you been like this?" Prue said. "Why haven't you moved on to the afterlife?"

"Two years. I don't know why, there is something holding me back." The ghost replied as he shrugged.

"Does it have something to do with that girl you were looking at, Caroline?" Prue asked. "I felt your pain when you were looking at her, I'm an empath."

"I don't know." The ghost replied. "We only went on a couple of dates, but I keep feeling drawn to her for some reason, but I know she had moved on."

"Well, maybe it's something else." Prue replied. "Do you know how you died?"

"It was a warlock." The ghost replied. "He killed me for my power along with a few other witches, but he was vanquished later on, so I guess my death was avenged."

Although the ghost seemed perfectly calm as he told his story, Prue could still sense a deep pain underneath. It seemed clear that he was not ready to give up on life, and could not let go.

"I want to help you." Prue said.

"Why?" the ghost asked.

"Because I am a witch. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?" Prue replied. "Besides, I don't believe in coincidences. I think I was meant to see you for this very reason."

"Maybe, I was never that good of a witch. I had only recently found out I even had magic." The ghost replied.

"I'm so sorry." Prue said. "Will you please let me try to help you?"

"I guess." The ghost said. "I got nothing better to do. I don't even know your name."

"Prue Halliwell." Prue replied.

"Nice to meet you, Prue." The ghost said. "My name is Matt."

Prue smiled as she tried to place a hand on his arm, though it passed right through him. She quickly withdrew her hand, embarrassed that she was so stupid, but Matt seemed to smile for a moment and she could feel his pain lifting for a short moment. As she sensed that short moment of relief, she knew that she was doing the right thing after all.

Xxx

After a few hours of much needed sleep, Chris woke up and got out of bed. Even though he felt more rested, his sleep had been troubled by dreams and thoughts haunting his mind. The feeling that Wyatt and the rest of his family were hiding something was getting stronger and stronger. It call came back to a few years ago, when Wyatt was fifteen. For some reason that their parents had never told him, Wyatt had lost a great amount of his powers. They said it was an accident or something, but Chris always suspected there was more to the story. Wyatt was still a powerful witch, but not like Chris used to remember it. It was eating away at him and he needed answers. Suddenly the words Odin had spoken to him a few weeks ago flashes through his mind.

"_You don't know the half of it. Did your family tell you why Gideon tried to kill him? Did they tell you what happened years later, when your brother was fifteen_?"

Chris knew he needed to get some answers in order to get this out of his mind. He got dressed and headed downstairs, where he found his older brother in the kitchen.

"Hey, up already?" Wyatt asked. "I just made some coffee, do you want any?"

"Yeah sure." Chris replied as he sat down at the counter. "Listen, there is something that has been on my mind for a while now, and I need some answers."

"About what?" Wyatt asked as he handed him his coffee.

"It's about you and your powers." Chris said carefully. "And what happened when you were fifteen."

"Where is this coming from?" Wyatt asked somewhat worried.

"Just little things that have been happening that got me thinking." Chris said. "I never quite understood what happened back then exactly."

"Well, you weren't there." Wyatt said. "You were on a camping trip with dad and the others. Only mom, Phoebe and Paige were here."

"So tell me what happened exactly." Chris urged.

"You already know what happened." Wyatt said. "Mom and dad have told you a thousand times. My powers were getting a little out of hand and I had trouble controlling them, so mom and the others cast a spell to reduce them."

"I know there is more to it than that." Chris said. "Growing up, you never had a problem with your powers, you were always showing off."

"Chris, I don't know what to tell you other than what I just did." Wyatt replied.

"How about the truth?" Chris said sharply.

"I already told you the truth." Wyatt replied angrily as he started to walk away. "Now drop it."

"I know you're lying to me." Chris said as he turned around. "I will find out, you know."

Wyatt stopped and turned around, and Chris noticed he was getting quite emotional, though he did not know whether he was just angry or also a little scared. His fists were clenched and shaking a little. It made Chris realize that there truly was more to the story, something that his brother was unable or unwilling to talk about for some reason. Wyatt had always been an honest and optimistic person, as well as a terrible liar, so whatever this secret was, it had to be very important. Wyatt was about to say something when his phone started ringing in his pocket. He picked it up.

"Payton?" Wyatt asked, and his tone on voice suddenly turned from angry to concerned. "Slow down, what is going on? Alright, I'll be there." He then hung up the phone and looked at Chris. "I have to go, Payton was attacked."

"Wait, attacked?!" Chris asked, instantly forgetting about everything else. "Does it have something to do with what happened this morning?"

"I don't know, maybe." Wyatt said. "She is hurt, so I have to hurry. Can you please check the Book of Shadows and see if there is anything about nightmares coming to life to something?"

"Yeah sure." Chris said.

Before Chris could say another word, Wyatt disappeared in a column of orbs. Chris got up and headed up to the attic. No matter what was going on between him and Wyatt, protecting the rest of the family was always more important. Everything else would just have to wait. As he ran up the stairs, he almost bumped into Henry.

"Where is the fire?" Henry asked. "What's going on?"

"Payton was attacked." Chris replied. "We think her nightmare might not be so harmless after all."

"Oh my god. Anything I can do?" Henry asked concerned.

"Wyatt is picking her up." Chris said. "Try calling the others, this might not be an isolated event."

"Okay, sure." Henry said.

As Chris headed to the attic, Henry Jr. walked downstairs and picked up his phone. However, as he walked into the dining room, he suddenly froze. There in the middle of the table sat the Slappy doll, looking at him with an evil grin. Henry turned around and looked at the box in the living room, which was lying on the floor empty. Either this was practical joke or… Henry turned around and noticed the doll was gone. Freaked out, he tried to walk away.

Suddenly, a very much human-sized and very alive Slappy appeared before him. Henry screamed and stumbled back, tripping over his own feet.

"Hey little boy!" Slappy said with a big grin and glowing eyes. "Wanna see a magic trick?"

Slappy laughed and pulled out a long red balloon from behind his back. He quickly fashioned the balloon into a hammer and showed it to Henry. Then with a puff of smoke, the balloon suddenly turned into a real hammer and he raised it to strike. Henry barely managed to roll away before the hammer struck the floor. He quickly scrambled up to his feet and ran away. Slappy let out a demonic laugh and started skipping after him.

Xxx

Wyatt Halliwell appeared in his cousins' apartment in a column of orbs and instantly looked around for Payton. The fight he had just had with Chris was still in the back of his mind and he knew that Chris would not give up until he learned the truth. He was afraid that if his siblings and cousins knew the truth, they would never trust him again. However, there were bigger concerns right now.

"Payton!?" Wyatt called out.

"I'm here." Payton said she got out of her bedroom.

She was dressed in a t-shirt and jeans with her hair still wet, while her eyes were red and swollen from crying. In one hand she held a tennis racket, while her other arm was wrapped in a towel soaked in blood. Wyatt ran over and guided her to the couch.

"What happened?" Wyatt asked as he removed the towel and started to heal her wound.

"It was her." Payton said. "Cinderhella. I told you she was real, she attacked me."

"Where did she go?" Wyatt asked as he looked around.

"She just appeared out of nowhere." Payton said as she wiped away her tears. "The bathroom door was locked, but she got in and out somehow."

"It has to be something demonic." Wyatt said. "I think something to do with our nightmares. Chris is checking the book as we speak."

Suddenly, the door of the apartment flew open and both jumped up. However, they were relieved to see it was Penny who came in, though she looked even worse than Payton did. When she saw Wyatt healing her younger sister she became worried.

"What happened?" Penny called out as she sat down next to Payton and grabbed her arm.

"I was attacked by a nightmare." Payton said.

"I don't think it was a nightmare." Penny said. "Something happened to me as well. I was walking on campus when I suddenly got all these negative thoughts. Then I suddenly became overwhelmed by everyone's thought and I could no shut them out."

"Are you okay?" Wyatt asked.

"I am fine." Penny replied. "Just a fool. It took me half an hour to snap out of it. The cleaning lady thought I was insane."

"So you lost control over your power?" Wyatt asked. "And you overheard the thoughts of everyone around you?"

"Well, yes and no." Penny said. "I thought I was losing control over my power, that is why everyone's thoughts flooded my mind. However, when I came around I realized that it is a Saturday, there was almost nobody around the campus. And yet the entire hallway was suddenly filled with people."

"I am not really sure where you're going with this." Wyatt admitted confused.

"It is so obvious, I should have realized it instantly." Penny said. "I just could not think straight, but then it suddenly became clear to me. Ever since getting my power, I have been afraid of losing control, that I could hear all the bad things people were thinking about me. Think about it, my fear literally came true today."

"Oh my god." Wyatt called out as he realized what she was implying. "This cannot be happening."

Wyatt knew that it had to be true, since it would explain everything. There was only one demon that could bring fears to life, someone that was vanquished a long time ago, yet could never truly be destroyed. There was only one demon capable of this and his name was Barbas, the Demon of Fear.

xxx


	4. Chapter 4

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 4

Xxx

As it started to become evening, Prue Halliwell appeared on an empty street in a beam of pink light and looked around to make sure nobody had seen her. A moment later, Matt appeared beside her in streams of white wisps and looked up at Caroline's apartment with a sad look. Prue hoped that she could somehow help Matt find peace. She wanted to say something, but before she could, her phone started ringing.

"Just a minute." Prue said as she walked away and picked up the phone. "Penny, I am kind-off in the middle of something… What? You cannot be serious! Of course I will be careful, I'll meet you at the manor as soon as I can."

Prue hung up the phone and felt a shiver. She could not believe Barbas was back. From the stories she had heard from her mother, he was truly one of the most dangerous and fearsome demons there were. The fact that he was back put everyone at risk and they might need her. However, she also felt that she could not leave Matt right now, as she had promised to help him.

As she put away her phone, Prue turned to Matt but noticed he had disappeared. She quickly looked around and saw him heading into an alley across the street. She quickly ran after him and found him standing in the middle of the alley, looking at the ground.

"This is where I died." Matt said when he noticed her.

"I'm so sorry." Prue replied. "Did it hurt?"

"I just felt a sharp pain, like a sting." Matt told her. "Then I remember feeling cold and falling down, before everything went black. When I woke up, I was standing next to my body, in a puddle of blood."

"I can't imagine how you must have felt." Prue said.

"It was so surreal." Matt said. "I felt like I was stuck in time for eternity. I relived my death over and over. Then I suddenly saw Caroline leaving her apartment and I just walked after her, but she could never see me."

Prue felt horrible for Matt and her feelings were enhanced by the strong emotions she could sense coming from him. She wanted to hug him or even put a hand on his shoulder or something, but she knew that she could not touch him.

"Maybe we should leave." Prue said. "This place does nothing but bring you bad memories. Perhaps seeing Caroline will help you move on."

"I guess." Matt replied somewhat timid.

Prue and Matt walked across the street and Prue rang the doorbell. She knew this would probably be an awkward conversation, but if it could bring Matt peace, it was something they needed to try. She waited patiently for the door to open. When it swung open, Caroline looked at her with a surprised look, obviously recognizing her from before.

"Hello?" Caroline asked.

"Hi, Caroline." Prue said. "I'm Prue Halliwell, we met this morning with the interview. I know this may seem very strange, me just showing up here, but I really need to talk to you."

"Why?" Caroline asked somewhat surprised.

"Well, this is going to sound really weird, but I need to talk to you about someone that you used to know." Prue said. "His name was Matt."

"Matt?!" Caroline asked shocked and Prue could sense a strong emotional reaction. "How do you know him?"

"We were friends, sort-of." Prue replied uneasy. "If I could just come in and talk to you for a moment."

"Uh, okay, this is a little weird though." Caroline said as she held open the door.

Caroline guided Prue to her apartment and they sat down on the couch, while Matt silently followed them. Caroline made a nervous impression and was clearly caught off guard when Matt was brought up. At the same time, Prue sensed strong feelings from Matt and had difficulty containing them. He wanted to scream out his feelings and she had try hard not to do it for him.

"So what is this about?" Caroline asked.

"Well, this is going to be difficult to explain, but I have this connection to Matt." Prue said. "Ever since he died, I strongly feel that his spirit has no yet been able to find peace."

"I'm sorry, I don't believe in that sort of stuff." Caroline said. "Is this some kind of trick or con?"

"No, I assure you that it's not." Prue said. "I came here because I want to help him. I think that you're part of the reason that he has not yet been able to move on."

"I don't understand and I don't really like where this is headed." Caroline replied. "It was a tragedy that he was murdered, especially since it happened right after our date. For a really long time, I blamed myself, but I eventually had to move on. We only went on two dates. I really liked him, but it is not like we were in love."

Prue felt a sharp pain in her heart and knew it was coming from Matt. Obviously, he had felt differently about her and her words hurt him. He moved across the room and sat down on the couch next to Caroline, looking at her with a hurt expression. Prue tried her best to shut out his emotions and focus on Caroline, otherwise she would lose it.

"Well, I believe that his spirit is still somehow tied to you." Prue said. "That you have some unfinished business."

"I don't know what you want me to say or do." Caroline replied. "I am sorry if Matt was your friend. Perhaps we could have had something special, but after he died, I knew I had to move on, and I did. I want him to be at peace, but I don't know if I can help with that."

At that moment, the door of the apartment opened and a tall man with short black hair came in, dressed in a casual blazer and dark jeans. He did not seem to notice Prue was there as he dropped his bag on the table.

"Hey babe, sorry I am late." The man said. "How did the presentation go?"

"Sweetie, we have company." Caroline quickly said.

The young man looked up and was surprised to find Prue sitting on his couch. However, as a mortal, he was unable to see Matt, who looked at him and Caroline with a shocked expression. Prue instantly realized that when Caroline said she had moved on, she had meant it. This guy was obviously her new boyfriend, meaning that she had already gotten over Matt a long time ago. She understood that she had moved on, but it broke her heart when she looked at Matt, who seemed devastated by the news. Prue wanted to say something to him, but he disappearing in streams of white wisps.

"I'm sorry, this was a mistake." Prue said as she got up.

"No wait." Caroline said as she also got up. "I do want you to know, that I really did like Matt, and I was devastated by his death. I never stopped thinking about him, but eventually I found someone new that I really love now."

"I understand." Prue said as she could feel her words were genuine. "I am sorry to have showed up like this."

Prue quickly said goodbye and left the apartment, knowing that she had to find Matt. When she reached the street, she looked around but he was nowhere to be found. She tried the alley again, but is was deserted as well. She called out his name but there was no response. Eventually she gave up and sighed. She knew she still had to help him, but realized he could not be found until he was ready. Prue walked into the alley and beamed to the manor.

xxx

Chris Halliwell stood in the attic of the Halliwell manor staring at the Book of Shadows. With a wave of his hand, telekinetically flipped through pages searching for answers. If Payton's nightmare had somehow come to life, he could not find the evil responsible in the book. If could be related to the Sandmen, which granted everyone dreams, since it was not the first time it had happened. However, it could also be some kind of nightmare demon they had never heard about before.

As Chris continued to flip through the book, his mind wondered to the discussion he had with Wyatt. Based on his reaction when Chris had confronted him, he was now more convinced than ever that there was something hidden from him, and finding out the truth started to become an obsession. Unknown to Chris, Barbas appeared behind him in astral form.

"_So you confronted your brother and yet he continues to lie to you_." Barbas said. "_It is driving you insane that there is this big secret that you don't know about_. You want to know but why exactly? What is it that makes you so determined to find out? _Could it be that you are afraid of what he is hiding? That is something that could endanger your family_? _After all, that is your biggest fear, that the magic you love so much will destroy your family, like it did your mother_. _You worry that you will not be strong enough to stop it, so you need to know the truth, no matter the cost_."

As Barbas disappeared, Chris realized that he needed to know the truth. He started to become worried that it was something that could endanger his family. He could no let that happen. He started to flip the Book of Shadows, perhaps he could use a truth spell or something.

Before Chris could find what he was looking for, a column of orbs descended from the ceiling and took the shape of Wyatt along with Penny and Payton.

"Chris, you can stop looking, we figured out what we're dealing with." Wyatt said.

"And what is that?" Chris asked sceptically.

"It's Barbas." Penny said. "He is messing with our minds."

"Barbas?" Chris asked confused. "He has not been back in decades, what makes you think it's him?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because I just lived out my worst fear." Penny replied annoyed.

"Unless you found something else in the book that could explain it, it is the only lead we got." Wyatt added.

Chris looked down at the book, which was open on the truth spell page, and shut it. "Alright, so we're dealing with Barbas." He said. "Any idea how to deal with him?"

"From everything I've heard from my mom, he is completely unpredictable." Penny said. "We have no idea what he is planning."

"Aside from scaring us to death." Payton remarked.

"Wait, before we do anything else, we need to inform Prue and Henry." Penny said. "Maybe even the rest of the family. If Barbas is through with us, he'll surely come after them."

"Alright, text them." Wyatt said. "So far he has only come after you and Payton, but it's better to be prepared. Where is Henry, anyway?"

"I saw him downstairs before I came up here." Chris replied.

Wyatt walked over to the stairs and called down for Henry. There was no response, though a few seconds later, a loud crash sounded from downstairs, followed by a scream and a demonic laugh. Everyone quickly ran downstairs. However, just as they ran down the stairs to the ground floor, Henry came running up the stairs, followed by a demonic clown with a lifted hammer.

"Kill it!" Henry screamed as he ran past them.

As everyone screamed at the horrific clown, Chris instinctively flung his arm and telekinetically threw the clown down the stairs, however, before it hit the ground, it exploded in a cloud of confetti with a loud bang. The explosion was instantly followed by another scream and Chris looked down to see Prue standing in the hallway as confetti swirled down all around her.

"Will someone please explain what the hell just happened?!" She called out in a panic.

A few moments later, everyone was gathered in the kitchen. Chris silently leaned against the counter overthinking his concerns, while Wyatt and Prue poured some coffee for everyone. Meanwhile, an amused Penny and Payton sat at the table along with an annoyed looking Henry.

"And you were laughing at me for being afraid of a serial killer." Payton said mockingly. "A clown, seriously? Now who's being a little kid?"

"Shut up." Henry replied.

"I had totally forgotten your weird clown phobia." Penny added. "Now I suddenly remember that circus trip we all had, when you were six or something. You cried so loud when that that clown tried to give you a balloon that we were escorted out of the circus tent in the middle of the show."

"Clowns are evil, you can see it in their eyes." Henry remarked. "But fine, I am sorry I laughed at you when Cinderella tried to kill you, Payton. Guess I deserved it."

"Guys, get serious here. We dealing with a huge problem." Prue interrupted them.

"Prue is right, we need to figure this out fast." Wyatt added. "Any suggestions?"

"Didn't aunt Prue defeat him by conquering her fears?" Penny said. "And I remember mom telling us her and aunt Paige once vanquished him with a potion."

"Yeah, a Power of Three potion created by my mom." Wyatt said. "Too bad we don't have those lying around."

"Chris, a little help here? What do you think?" Penny said.

"Oh, sorry. I was kind-of lost in thought." Chris replied as he snapped out of it. "I think our best bet is to try to conquer our fears."

"Okay, so we Payton's fear is Cinderhella. Henry is afraid of Boozy the Clown." Penny summed up.

"Slappy." Henry corrected her.

"Whatever, my fear is losing control of my power and being overwhelmed by negative thoughts." Penny continued.

"I am afraid of bugs and snakes." Prue added. "Through I think my biggest fear is losing my family. So that leaves Wyatt and Chris, what are your worst fears?"

"Well, I guess my fear would be people keeping secrets from me, secrets that could be dangerous." Chris replied as he glared at his brother.

"Not this again, we don't have time for this, Chris!" Wyatt called out angrily. "Our lives are in danger here."

"Right, which is exactly why you should be honest so Barbas can't use it against us." Chris replied.

"I think he might already have, why else would you be so obsessed over this?" Wyatt asked. "I think Barbas is already playing mind tricks on you!"

"Guys, what is going on?" Prue asked as she positioned herself between the brothers.

"Wyatt is hiding something from us." Chris explained. "Which has something to do with the night he lost his powers when he was fifteen. And I think it's something pretty important since our moms have kept it from us as well."

"What are you talking about?" Payton asked.

"Yeah, I am confused." Henry added.

"You are probably too young to remember." Chris replied.

"I'm not." Penny said as she got up. "I do remember something about it. You used to be a lot more powerful, the Twice-Blessed or something mom once called it. So what did happen?"

"Penny, I really don't see how that is relevant right now." Prue said. "We need to focus on Barbas, not fight and doubt each other."

"And how are we supposed to work together and trust each other when someone is keeping secrets?" Chris asked.

"What does it matter?" Prue called out. "We're family, we supposed to love and trust each other. Everyone has their secrets and I assume there is a reason why Wyatt has one as well."

'Thanks Prue." Wyatt said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Though I don't think you can convince my little brother. It seems pretty obvious that Barbas has been manipulating him to drive a wedge between us, though I doubt he required much stimulation."

"Are we seriously going to fight now?" Payton called out. "We have one very dangerous demon and two psycho killers out there. Get over it."

"As soon as Wyatt tells us the truth." Chris said determined.

"It is none of your business, Chris, let it go." Wyatt replied.

Suddenly, the lights started flickering and everyone grew silent. When the flickering stopped, streams of smoke rose up from the ground and took the shape of Barbas as everyone stood frozen for a moment as they looked at the Demon of Fear.

"Hello children." Barbas said with a creepy smile. "Why are we fighting?"

"You son of a…" Chris called out and flung his arm, though Barbas seemed unaffected.

"You're powers don't work on me." Barbas replied.

"No? How about this?" Penny called out.

Penny took a sprint and levitated up into the air to kick Barbas, however, she moved right through him and crashed over the kitchen counter. Prue ran toward her sister and kneeled down to make sure she was alright. At the same time, Wyatt raised a force field around Barbas, separating him from the others.

"How amusing." Barbas remarked as he pointed his finger at the force field. "Are you going to keep me trapped in here forever?"

"As long as needed until we find a way to vanquish you for good." Wyatt replied.

"Silly boy, you know you can never vanquish fear." Barbas said. "You know, it has been such a long time since we've seen each other. I believe you were about just a baby when Gideon tried to kill you. Such a shame he did not succeed, since we all know he was right in the end."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked.

"Don't listen to him, Chris." Wyatt snapped at his brother.

"Oh, you don't know, do you?" Barbas said as he turned around to face Chris. "And you're so desperate to find out the truth. Let me show you!"

Barbas held out his hands and suddenly both Wyatt and Chris fell unconscious to the floor, causing the force field to disappear. When Prue got up and tried to attack him, Barbas waved his hand and telekinetically opened the basement door. With his other hand, he then threw Prue into the basement and slammed the door shut. As Henry and Payton moved behind him, he turned around and grinned. In two puffs of smoke, Cinderhella and Slappy the Clown appeared.

"Oh god. Run!" Henry called out.

As the two youngest Halliwells ran into the dining room, Barbas nodded at his creations and they ran after them. The Demon of Fear then turned and stared down at the two unconscious brothers, smiling as they would soon awaken in a world of fear.

xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 5

Xxx

As it started to become late at night and dark outside, Payton Halliwell crept through the second floor of the Halliwell Manor, making sure to be as quiet as possible. Not only was she being chased by a psychotic serial killer with a knife, the power had been cut somehow, leaving her in the dark. At the same time, she had lost sight of Henry when she had run upstairs, while her sisters and other cousins were left at the mercy of Barbas and their fears downstairs. She tried to tell herself to say calm over and over again, yet every sound and crack made her jump. She had tried to get into the attic, but a shadow that resembled Cinderhella had driven her in another reaction.

When she heard movement, Payton quickly slipped into a closet and waited. She held her breath as she heard someone or something walk past in the hallway and stopped right in front of her. Payton imagined Cinderhella standing there, with her blood-spattered dress and face covered in bandages to cover her horrible scars. She could even picture the little crown on her head. Payton reached for something that resembled a weapon and eventually found an old umbrella.

When the door swung open, Payton screamed and hit with the umbrella, when she heard a familiar voice call out in pain. She looked up and saw it was Henry. She quickly grabbed him and pulled him into the closet.

"You hit me!" Henry said accusingly.

"Be quiet, she is here somewhere." Payton whispered.

"I think she is lurking around the attic, but I have not seen Slappy." Henry replied. "We need to do something, the others are in danger."

"We need the book." Payton said. "But we can't reach the attic."

"Can't you get a premonition to see where they are?" Henry asked.

"You know I cannot control it, especially not now, since I am too scared to focus." Payton replied.

"I know, my powers are acting weird as well, I am afraid that I'll get stuck in a wall if I try to orb through it." Henry admitted.

"Great, so no powers and nothing to defend ourselves." Payton said. "You watch horror movies a lot, how do we take out the psycho?"

"Cinderhella was stabbed with her own blade and thrown off a balcony." Henry replied.

"We don't have a balcony!" Payton replied frustrated.

"I know that, keep your voice down!" Henry replied.

Both screamed when suddenly the door flew open and Cinderhella appeared with a raised knife. Payton threw the umbrella at her and prepared to run, through Henry grabbed her arms and suddenly they fell through the wall behind them if a flurry of orbs and landed on the floor of the bathroom. Henry quickly got up and locked the door. He leaned against the door and let out a sigh of relief. Not a second later, his eyed widened as a knife suddenly slashed through the door not an inch from his face.

"Now what?" Payton called out as both of them backed away from the door while the psycho killer did her best to destroy the door with her knife.

"Good question." Henry replied. "Any suggestions?"

"We need a plan." Payton said.

"Yeah, that's a great idea, do you have plan?" Henry remarked sarcastically.

"Well no, at least that stupid clown is not here." Payton said.

"Oh my god, why did you have to say that?" Henry called out. "You can't say stuff like that in horror movies."

"We're not in a movie!" Payton yelled at him.

Suddenly something moved in the shower behind the curtain and two gloved hands grabbed Henry by the shoulders. The curtain fell down and Slappy appeared with a big creepy grin. Henry tried to get away, but stood frozen in place as Payton backed against the wall. Meanwhile, Cinderhella was still slashing at the door and had almost cracked through.

"Hi, kids. Missed me?" Slappy asked. "You kids are very naughty running away like that. Don't you wanna my magic tricks? What's the matter, kid, you're shaking. You're not scared of clowns, are ya? Cause we're all about fun. Just imagine how funny it will be when scary spice over there joins the party. She's to die for."

"What do you want?" Payton asked.

"I just want you to see my magic trick." Slappy replied. "Ever see the one where the clown saws the boy in half? It's one of my favorites."

Slappy held out his hand and a large woods aw appeared in a puff of smoke. As he held it in front of Henry, his eyes widened in horror as he was paralysed with fear. When the clown started whistling a disturbing song, Payton looked around and picked up a tube of deodorant from the sink. She moved closer and just when the clown was about to cut Henry in half, she sprayed deodorant in his eyes. The clown screamed and fell into the tub. Payton then quickly turned on the shower and proceeded to turn on the radio. As the screaming clown was soaked in water, she tossed him the radio and sparks flew as it short-circuited under the water, zapping the clown.

"Nice trick." Payton remarked. "Henry, come on."

"Thanks, cuz." Henry replied. "Now let's deal with your crazy."

Both looked on and saw Cinderhella had carved a large enough hole in the door to reach through with her arm. She was reaching for the handle. Payton freaked as she suddenly remembered the last time she had faced the killer and she had cut her arm. The real fear of her getting in became overwhelming and she almost started hyperventilating.

"Payton, calm down." Henry said. "We can take her."

"No, she is going to kill us!" Payton called out in a panic.

"No, she is not." Henry replied.

Henry charged at the door and slammed against the killer's arm as she reached for the handle. The psycho screamed and withdrew her hand, though a moment later she reached through with her knife ready to slash. At that moment, Henry pulled open the door and slammed it against the wall, causing Cinderhella to fly with it and drop the knife as her arm hit the wall. Henry then quickly grabbed Payton and ran out the bathroom into the hallway, heading toward the attic.

As the two cousins ran, they passed the stairs to the ground floor. However, before they could go further, Payton felt something grab her leg and she screamed as she fell down, dragging Henry down with her. She turned and saw Cinderhella's hand clutched around her ankle. The killer crawled forward with her knife raised.

"You don't deserve the title of queen, the crown in mine!" Cinderhella hissed as if she were still stuck her in movie. "I am going to cut you open, you little bitch."

Payton screamed as Cinderhella stood up and came at her with the knife, though before she could, Henry appeared in between them and she slashed his arm. However, he did not give up and grabbed her arms, resulting in a struggle that Payton could not oversee. As she crawled up, she saw Henry trying to yank the knife away as the killer tried to stab him. However, when she launched at him, Henry managed to turn her knife around and instead plunged it into her chest. Cinderhella screamed as she stumbled back. Henry gave her one final push and she fell against the railing and tumbled down the stairs.

"That was some teamwork." Henry said as he helped Payton up.

"Is she dead?" Payton asked shaking as she tried to move over to the railing.

"Don't check on the body, that will only get you killed in the movies." Henry remarked as he stopped her. "Let's get to the attic and find a way to stop Barbas."

The two cousins ran further down the hallway and headed up the attic stairs, with Payton right behind Henry. As they entered the attic, Payton took one last look downstairs and screamed as a bloody hand appeared on the bottom step clutching a knife. Henry then quickly slammed the door shut and they started barricading themselves in.

xxx

Around the same time, Prue sat up and felt a throbbing headache as she grabbed her head. She found herself lying on the cold floor of the dark basement and looked up at the closed door. She tried to get up and lifted herself from the air. At that moment, she felt something cold and slippery on her hand. She looked down and saw a large green snake sliding over her hand. In an instant panic, she screamed and rolled away. She hit a supportive beam and sat up. Everywhere she looked, there were snakes in all colors and sizes, even on the stairs. Suddenly, something fell on her lap. Prue screamed in terror and she held up her hands and revealed she was holding a hissing snake.

xxx

When Chris Halliwell woke up, he found himself in a surreal setting. He was lying on the floor of the kitchen like before, but the entire world around him seemed deprived of almost all color, leaving it gritty and depressing. He looked around saw Wyatt lying next to him, he then realized that he and his brothers still looked normal in this bizarre world. He then remembered Barbas waving his hands and suddenly losing consciousness. He tried to orb away, but his orbing was blocked somehow.

"Wyatt, wake up." Chris called out as he shook his brother's shoulder.

"What's going on?" a dazed Wyatt asked as he woke up.

"Barbas trapped us in some kind of illusionary world as best as I can tell." Chris replied. "I already tried orbing, but we're stuck here."

"What is he planning?" Wyatt asked.

"I wish I knew." Chris said. "Perhaps we need to check if the others are around."

The brothers left the kitchen and checked the rest of the manor, but they found nobody. The entire manor was deserted and all the door and windows were locked. Chris tried to look outside, but there was nothing but darkness out there. Eventually, the brothers arrived in the attic, but as they already suspected, the book was not there either.

"Why would Barbas trap us here?" Wyatt asked. "To get us out of the way?"

"Or for some other reason." Chris replied. "What exactly is your worst fear?"

"Let's not talk about this." Wyatt said.

"Why not?" Chris asked. "Why do you keep hiding things from me?"

"Chris, don't you see this is exactly what Barbas wants?" Wyatt called out. "He is trying to pit us against each other, so we don't trust each other."

"Well, in order for that to work, he has to know that there is something that could damage our trust." Chris said. "It's clear that you've been hiding something for a long time, and it seems that everyone in the family knows, dad and our aunts, so just tell me already! What could be so bad?"

Suddenly, the air in the attic rippled and flickering images appeared in the air. The images took shape of much younger versions of their mother and father, as well as Phoebe and Paige and a stranger. However, Chris was shocked to see a version of himself standing in front of them, practically the same age as he was now. But that was impossible. The images gained color and started talking as if he and Wyatt were not there.

"_This is crazy. Leo, tell them." The other Chris called out._

"_Tell them what?" Leo asked. "I'm wondering the same thing myself."_

"_Okay, so what if I did?" Chris replied. "I was only trying to protect Wyatt."_

"_By tricking us?" Piper asked angrily._

"_I had to." Chris replied._

"_Why?" Phoebe asked._

"_Because the only reason I came here was to keep Wyatt from turning evil." Chris called out._

"_Turning evil?" Leo asked confused._

"_Wait, don't you mean stopping evil from hurting him?" Paige asked._

"_I didn't think you'd help me if you knew the truth. I knew you wouldn't." Chris replied desperately. "The evil from the future I came back to stop isn't a demon. It's Wyatt."_

"_You're lying." Piper replied._

"_No, I'm not. He's gonna grow up and terrorize people with his powers, take over. Kill even." Chris told them._

"_Why should we believe you after all the lies?" Leo asked angrily._

"_Because you have to." Chris replied._

"_No, Chris, we don't, actually." Piper said._

As Piper's words echoed through the attic, the images faded and Chris understood he had been watching a vision from the past, like a lost memory. However, he had no idea what he had just seen. He could not believe what he heard. The other version of him had traveled back in time to stop Wyatt from becoming evil? He did not understand. He looked at Wyatt, who turned away and aimed his eyes at the floor.

"What was that?" Chris asked.

"It's nothing." Wyatt replied.

"It did not seem like nothing." Chris replied. "I came back in time to stop you from becoming evil? You turned evil?"

"No, I didn't." Wyatt said. "You only know half of what happened, so don't pretend to understand."

"Then explain it to me!" Chris yelled at him. 'Just tell me the truth!"

"Fine, it all started with Gideon." Wyatt said reluctantly. "Gideon became convinced that as the Twice-Blessed, I was too powerful for my own good and that I would eventually be corrupted by my powers. So he decided to kill me for the so-called greater good."

"But dad stopped him." Chris added.

"Yes, but only because the future you came to the past to help." Wyatt said. "In the original timeline, our parents did not find out it was Gideon until it was too late. He tried to kill me in the Underworld, but was not powerful enough. The event traumatized me and I turned evil because of it. It seemed that Gideon would only create the thing he was trying to prevent."

"Why did mom and dad never tell us the entire truth?" Chris asked. "We already knew part of it."

"Mom was afraid that you would look at my differently. That you would not trust me." Wyatt said. "And judging from the way you've been acting, I can understand where she was coming from."

Chris did not know what to say. He had become so obsessed with finding the truth that he did not even stop to think about everything else that mattered. Wyatt was his brother, and he should be able to trust him, right? He felt horrible for doubting him like this. Had he started obsessing because Barbs had made him, or was it something he had started himself?

"I am sorry." Chris admitted.

"Oh, don't apologize just yet." A voice echoed through the attic as Barbas appeared in a stream of smoke. "Quite a touching speech, Wyatt, but aren't you forgetting some minor details? I seem to remember that was not the end of this little tale."

"There is more?" Chris asked confused and he looked at his brother's conflicted face. "Are you still lying to me?"

"Chris, just trust me." Wyatt pleaded.

"I wouldn't." Barbas remarked casually.

"Just tell me the truth. I deserve to know." Chris demanded.

"Can't you see this is exactly what he wants?!" Wyatt called out.

"Tell me!" Chris screamed angrily.

Wyatt sighed and stared pacing as he wiped his red and watery eyes. Chris did not care that his brother was upset, he wanted to know the truth once and for all. He impatiently tapped his feet as Barbas looked at the scene unfolded in an amused mood.

"It all comes back to when I was fifteen." Wyatt finally said. "For some reason, I was starting to lose control of my powers. I thought it was just a phase, but then something happened. More future versions of family members showed up and revealed that even though they had stopped Gideon, I still turned evil. Nothing seemed to matter."

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Well, you can't fight destiny." Barbas remarked.

"Mom summoned an Angel of Destiny." Wyatt explained. "She revealed that despite everything they had tried, my power was too great and would eventually corrupt me no matter what."

"Looks like Gideon was right all along." Barbas added cheerfully. "If only they had listened."

"Eventually, I came face to face with my future self and saw everything I hated and never wanted to be." Wyatt continued. "Then I started losing control over my powers and I was so scared, scared that there was nothing that could stop me from becoming him."

"What happened?" Chris asked.

"Mom happened, she drew the magical sword Excalibur and stabbed me, stripping me of my powers and vanquishing my future self." Wyatt said. "With my Twice-Blessed status gone, the future was prevented and I did not become evil. The Elders later restored a part of my powers, but ensured that I would never become too powerful again, out of fear that I would turn evil again."

"Why were we never told of this?" Chris asked.

"My future version did horrible things." Wyatt admitted. "We agreed that it was best not to tell you, because you might start to fear me."

Chris stood nailed to the ground. He wanted the truth, though now that he knew, he felt even worse than before. He felt horrible for forcing the truth to come out, all because he felt he needed to know everything. He was stupid for starting all of this. He should have trusted his family. As both brothers fell silent, Barbas started clapping.

"Bravo." Barbas said as he circled around Chris. "Are you happy now, Chris? You feared your family was hiding something, now you know the truth!"

"And then we have Wyatt, the big brother and protector of the family." Barbas continued as he walked over to Wyatt. "How does it feel to have your family distrust you this much? Forcing you to spill every secret you tried to burry deep inside? After all, that was the big secret, right? Your worst fear is that you're evil inside. And now, all of that has been brought out to the surface."

Barbas waved his hand over Wyatt and a white light emerged. Chris looked on in shock as Wyatt changed before his eyes. His face turned from hurt and broken into spiteful and bitter, while his clothes turned black and tribal-like tattoo's appeared on both his arms and neck. Barbas had brought his worst fear to life, the fear that he was evil. Wyatt raised his arm and an Energy Ball formed in his hand. Chris stumbled back and ducked for cover as his brother tried to kill him.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 6

Xxx

Chris ran and ducked behind an antique couch to avoid a powerful Energy Ball being thrown by his brother. The sphere hit the couch and combusted in a puff of smoke and flames. When the smoke cleared, Chris peered over the couch and saw his brother forming another Energy Ball, though he barely recognized Wyatt. He was dressed entirely in black, with a black shirt and leather pants. His arms and neck were covered in tribal-like tattoos. However, the worst thing was his face, which just seemed like another person. Wyatt was always an optimist with an eternal smile, now he seemed angry and bitter, with hate burning in his eyes.

"Wyatt, you need to fight this, this is not you!" Chris called out.

"You're wrong, little brother." Wyatt replied. "This has always been me. I was just denying it."

"Barbas is manipulating you, using your fear against you." Chris tried to reason with him. "You are not evil, you're good. You always have been."

"You've seen it for yourself, me becoming evil in inevitable." Wyatt said. "I was born with this evil inside of me. It was just a matter of time before I accepted my true destiny."

"And what is that?" Chris asked.

"I am the once and future king. I was born to rule over magic." Wyatt proclaimed. "I will bring the Elders and the Source to their knees and I will claim was it rightfully mine. I will rule both the magical and the mortal world and crush anyone who resists me."

"Wyatt, this is not you." Chris said. "You're a good person, a witch and a Whitelighter. You protect the innocent and guide those who need you. And you loved doing that."

"I was just fooling myself into thinking I was like the rest of you." Wyatt replied.

"What about your family? What about mom and dad? Melinda?" Chris called out. "Will you crush them as well?"

"You will all have a chance to join me." Wyatt said. "Swear your loyalty to me and I will spare you. We can rule this world together."

"I can't do that, Wyatt." Chris replied. "None of us can. We cannot let you do this. We will try to stop you if you continue down this path."

"Then you will die trying." Wyatt yelled angrily and threw another Energy Ball.

The Energy Ball hit the couch and it was obliterated. Chris jumped up and flung his arm, telekinetically throwing his brother across the attic. As Wyatt crashed into a closet, Chris ran past him and headed toward the attic door. However, when he opened it, he found his path blocked by a brick wall that appeared out of nowhere. In a stream of smoke, Barbas appeared before him.

"Ah, ah, not so fast." Barbas said. "You were afraid that your family was hiding something form you, now you know the truth. You cannot escape it."

"You're doing all of this!" Chris said angrily.

"Well, I played a small part in it." Barbas replied. "After all, I could not have done this if those fears weren't already inside of you."

Suddenly a force grabbed Chris from behind and lifted him up in the air. He hovered across the attic and turned to Wyatt holding out his hand. His brother then clenched his fist and Chris could feel something starting to choke him. He gasped for air and could feel himself suffocating as his brother looked at him with nothing but pure hate. In his other hand, he created an Energy Ball. Suddenly Chris got a weird sense of déjà vu, as if he had been here before.

The scene seemed to shift and gained color, causing Barbas to frown. Suddenly, Wyatt cried out in pain and Chris fell to the ground. When Chris looked up he saw a woman had appeared behind Wyatt and had her arm in his back, causing a white light to glow. Chris sensed that he had somehow seen her before. She was young and had long copper brown hair and olive skin, dressed entirely in leather. She was beautiful and she turned her dark brown eyes to Chris.

"_Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast. I can't hold him for long." The woman said determined._

Chris did not know whether she was talking to him or if she was caught in some strange memory. For a moment, he just stood there frozen. Suddenly Wyatt turned around and kicked the woman. She flew back with great force and landed on a piece of broken furniture, impaling her stomach.

"No!" Chris called out as he ran over and kneeled down next to her. Something seemed to grab him and he was swept away in a memory that never happened.

"_Bianca. No, no, no, no." Chris called out while he attempt help her in vain._

"_Haven't we been here before?" Bianca whispered in pain as she looked into his eyes._

"_Maybe we will be again." Chris whispered._

"_Maybe." Bianca replied._

"_No." Chris whispered in tears as he noticed the life draining out of her._

Bianca grabbed his hand and placed a ring in it, an engagement ring. For some reason Chris remembered it from somewhere. Bianca looked at him with a loving expression, before closing her eyes and fading away. Chris looked at the ring in his hand and it disappeared as well, as if it never existed. The color was drained from the dream world once more. Chris had no idea what just happened, but he sensed that in some way, it did happen in one timeline or another. Somewhere, she had meant something to him.

"Well, that was interesting." Barbas remarked surprised. "Seems like my tricks have some unexpected side effects in this world. Now let's get back to business, shall we?"

Chris stood up and barely avoided an Energy Ball being thrown by Wyatt. What just happened had shaken him to his core and he was angry over the woman Wyatt had just killed. He flung his arm and threw his brother across the room. If Wyatt wanted a fight, he would get one.

Xxx

In the basement of the Halliwell manor, Prue had managed to crawl into a corner and had her head buried in her knees while softly rocking back and forth, trying to block out the fact that she was surrounded by hundreds of snakes that crawled and hissed everywhere. Part of her knew that Barbas was behind all of this, but that small thought in her head could not block out the intense fear she felt when she thought about all those snakes sliding all around her. Prue screamed when another snake came close and touched her feet and she tried to kick it way in a panic.

"Prue?" a familiar voice called out, but she did not respond as she was afraid to look. "Prue, open your eyes, look at me."

Prue carefully looked up and saw the handsome and comforting face of Matt as he smiled at her. For a moment, she felt relieved, but then started to worry that it was somehow another trick.

"Get away from me!" Prue called out.

"What is going?" Matt asked. "I came to find you because I felt about leaving like that, but seeing Caroline with another guy, I just needed to get out of there."

"How do I know you are real?" Prue asked. "Not just another trick?"

"Trick, what are you talking about? What is going on?" Matt asked confused.

"I need to know you're not just some illusion or mind trick." Prue replied.

"Well, you sensed my feelings before, that is how you found me." Matt reasoned. "Can't you use your power to sense it is me?"

"I can't use my powers, I am too scared, all these snakes…" Prue replied shaking.

"What snakes?" Matt asked surprised as he looked around. "Prue, you need to listen to me, there are no snakes here. Do you understand that? There are no snakes!"

Prue did not know if she could believe him and buried her face again. Perhaps he was real, but he could just as easily be another trick by Barbas to torment her. If she trusted him, he would turned into a giant snake and attack her. If only she could somehow trust in him without using her powers.

"Prue." Matt said in a calm and gentle voice. "Just look at me, you know you can trust me."

Deciding that she needed to at least try, Prue opened her eyes and found herself looking directly in Matt's bright and beautiful eyes. At that moment, she saw nothing but kindness in his eyes and knew he was real. She took a deep breath and looked around the basement, all the snaked had disappeared. She smiled and wanted hug Matt, but as she raised her hands she was painfully reminded about the fact that he was a ghost. Instead, she stood up and corrected her hair and clothes, which looked disastrous.

"What is going on?" Matt asked. "I saw your family upstairs, but they were all unconscious."

"Ever heard of the Demon of Fear?" Prue asked.

"Wait, the Demon of Fear?" Matt asked. "I read about him once in my grandmother's Book of Shadows. I thought he was tied to Friday the thirteenth?"

"Not anymore." Prue said. "My family and he have a long history. Now he is after all of us. And I have no idea how to stop him."

"You just defeated his illusions." Matt said.

"By trusting in you." Prue replied as she realized something. "You calmed me down and allowed me to let go of my fear for a moment. So that is what I need to do with my family. Come on."

Prue headed up the stairs and opened the door to the kitchen. For a moment, she expected it to be full of snakes, but it was empty. She saw Wyatt and Chris lying unconscious near the counter and Penny on the other side. She first walked over to her sister and woke her up. Penny cried out in pain and Prue helped her up.

"Remind me not to levitate into intangible demons anymore." Penny remarked as she checked her painful ankle, before she noticed Matt. "Who is the cute guy?"

"Penny, this is Matt." Prue quickly said a little embarrassed. "He is a spirit I've been trying to help. But he helped me overcome my fear instead."

"Nice to meet you." Matt said.

"Yeah, what about the others?" Penny asked.

"Barbas put them to sleep somehow." Prue said, remembering what happened earlier. "I am not sure if we will be able to wake them up. It think he has them trapped in some kind of nightmare."

"Where are Payton and Henry?" Penny asked.

Before Prue could answer, both of them heard a loud crash coming from upstairs followed by a scream that they recognized as Payton.

"We need to get up there." Prue said.

"I can't, I can barely walk." Penny said as she leaned against the counter. "You and ghost boy go check it out. I'll see if I can wake up Wyatt and Chris."

"Are you sure?" Prue asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Penny said. "I actually think I have an idea."

"Okay, stay safe. And call if you need me!" Prue said.

"I will, now go!" Penny replied.

Prue nodded and headed out of the kitchen, followed by Matt, while Penny hopped over to her cousins and sat down on the floor. Prue walked through the dining room and wanted to head up the stairs, but she froze before she could reach the second step. The entire stairway was crawling with huge black spiders. She backed up and turned to Matt. She knew it was an illusion, so she focussed on him and blocked out her fear. When she turned back to the stairs, where the spiders had disappeared. Prue smiled at Matt and they quickly headed up the stairs.

Xxx

Penny kneeled down in between her cousins and focussed. She had hopefully thought of a way to help them, but it would require all her attention. She suspected Barbas had trapped them in a dream world inside their minds, which would allow her to use her telepathy to access that world. However, she had no idea what she would find there and it was a huge risk.

It did not matter, she needed save her family. She was tired of feeling like a failure and a screw-up. She had the chance to prove herself and actually make a difference. She would not allow Barbas to mess with her family any longer. She grabbed the hands of both her cousins and closed her eyes. She focussed on their minds and entered their thoughts. When her mind turned blank, her body slumped and fell over to the floor.

Penny appeared in a world depraved of color and found herself standing alone in the kitchen. She realized that she had entered another world, one where Barbas was in charge. She needed to be careful. When she heard a crash coming from the attic, she made her way there, and luckily her injured ankle was gone. When she reached the attic, she saw it was blocked by a brick wall. She held out her hand placed her fingers on the wall, causing it to dissolve as she wished it.

Penny entered the attic was shocked by what she saw. Wyatt and Chris were engaged in battle, throwing each other around the attic with Telekinesis. However, it was not the Wyatt she knew. He looked different and practically had an aura of evil surrounding him.

"Stop it!" Penny called out.

"Stay out of this!" Wyatt yelled at her.

"Penny, get out of here. He will hurt you!" Chris yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Penny asked.

Wyatt screamed and tackled Chris, engaging him in physical fighting. Suddenly Penny was thrown across the room and landed in a pile of boxes. Barbas appeared before her in a stream of smoke and looked surprised she was there.

"How did you get here?" Barbas asked with a frown.

"Does it matter?" Penny replied defiantly. "I came to stop you."

"Foolish girl, do you really think you can stand against the Demon of Fear?" Barbas laughed as he held out his hands. "You cannot even overcome your own petty fears."

Penny screamed as suddenly her mind became overloaded with negative thoughts and tears filled her eyes. It was nearly overwhelming, but she realized that she needed to be strong. It was just an illusion, she needed to protect her family. The thoughts she heard were not those of her family or friends, she should not listen to them. She focussed and pushed them out of her mind, causing them to ripple through the air and push Barbas back.

"How did you do that?" Barbas asked shocked.

"I came here to protect my family, and that desire is stronger than my fears." Penny said as she levitated to her feet. "You cannot affect me any longer."

"Please, I control every aspect of this world." Barbas said.

Barbas laughed and snapped his fingers. The entire attic shook as if an earthquake struck and Penny lost her balance. Darkness started spreading from Barbas and soon engulfed the attic, surrounding Penny. Strange and frightening beings lurked in the darkness and clawed at her. However, Penny had already decided that she would no longer let Barbas scare her. She stood up and closed her eyes, using her mind to push the darkness back. Barbas looked at her in shock when the darkness faded away. Before he could make a move, Penny levitated in the air and kicked him across the face. Barbas was thrown back and dissolved in a puff of smoke.

"You had that one coming." Penny remarked.

Penny turned to her cousins and saw they were still engaged in a fight. Chris was lying on the floor with Wyatt sitting on his chest. With one hand he was choking him while he formed an Energy Ball in the other. Meanwhile, Chris struggled with little effect.

"Enough!" Penny called out and clenched her fist, causing the Energy Ball to sizzle out. "Get a grip, both of you. Barbas is manipulating you. Now get up."

An invisible force tore Wyatt and Chris apart and forced them to stand across from each other. Penny walked over to them and positioned herself in the middle.

"What is going on?" Penny asked.

"Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you." Wyatt replied angrily.

"He killed her." Chris added furiously.

"Killed who?" Penny asked. "Chris, this is a dream world, none of it is real. And Wyatt, what the hell has gotten into you?!"

"I just accepted my destiny." Wyatt replied. "I denied it my entire life, but I was always meant to become evil."

"So that is what you fear?" Penny asked. "That you're evil? You're insane, you're like the nicest and most honest and selfless person I know."

"Except that he had been lying to us his entire life." Chris said.

"Chris, just shut up." Penny snapped at him. "You two need to snap out of this. Whatever stuff you have going on, it doesn't matter. Barbas is still out there and Payton and Henry are still in danger. We all are. Don't you think that is more important than your little fight?"

"You have no idea what is going on." Chris replied. "Read his mind and find out the truth."

"Yes Penny, go ahead." Wyatt said. "Out of all my family, I am sure that you will understand my point of view."

"I'll be the judge of that." Penny replied.

Penny closed her eyes and focussed on Wyatt, linking her mind to his. A shock went through her as images started flashing before her eyes. She saw an infant Wyatt in the Underworld, being attacked by Gideon, a different version of Chris being stabbed by Gideon, her uncle Leo vanquishing Gideon. Then the time frame shifted and she saw a teenage Wyatt losing control over his power, being used in some ritual and fighting his evil self. Finally, she then saw her aunt Piper stabbing her own son with a magical sword and everything turned white.

Penny gasped and she disconnected from Wyatt's mind and stumbled back. Now she knew she whole story, everything about the past and the true reason behind Wyatt's fear. She wiped away a tear. She had no idea that her cousin had gone through all of this and it hurt her to her core. She felt sorry for him, but she was also scared of the Wyatt that stood before her, as he had completely given in to his fear.

xxx


	7. Chapter 7

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 7

Xxx

As the beings from their nightmares bashed against the attic door, Henry Jr. continued to stack furniture and other heavy objects against the door to prevent them from getting in. Behind the door, he heard Slappy laugh and it sent a cold chill down his spine. He really hated that clown, not to mention it freaked him out more than anything. When he ran out of objects to barricade the door with, Henry turned to his cousin Payton, who was rapidly flipping through the pages of the Book of Shadows in a slight panic.

"Anything?" Henry asked.

"I am not sure." Payton said. "All I found is this on Barbas' page, listen._ A witch's only defence is to identify and then release her greatest fears. Do not rely on your wicca powers for defence, for in the face of your greatest fear, those powers are paralyzed. To let go of your fear, trust in the greatest of all powers_."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Henry called out.

"I don't know!" Payton snapped back at him. "You figure it out!"

"We already faced out fear, we already beat them once." Henry said. "So why didn't it work?"

There was a sudden loud noise and both cousins jumped. A chair that was stacked against the door had fallen over and the door was pushed open slightly. An arm clutching a knife appeared through the crack of the door and swung around.

"Oh god." Payton whispered as she backed up.

The knife was drawn back and a long shaped balloon was pushed through the door. When it hit the floor, it exploded and Slappy appeared in a blast of confetti. Henry froze as the clown looked at him with his demonic eyes and a smile filled with razor sharp claws. He then started removing the furniture from the door. Henry and Payton backed up until they found themselves at the back of the attic, in front of the large window. When Slappy had removed all furniture, he opened the door and took a bow. Cinderhella came walking in with her knife playfully swinging around her hand.

"Any last words before I cut you open?" Cinderhella asked.

"Henry, do something." Payton whispered.

"Like what, my powers aren't working." Henry replied.

When their worst fears came closer, Henry realized it was over. They had run out of options. Payton cried and grabbed him arms. Slappy grinned at him as he conjured a chainsaw out of thin air and it started buzzing as he violently swung it around. With only a few feet away, the monsters suddenly screamed out in pain as they were engulfed in a blast of pink energy and fell to their knees. Behind them, Prue had appeared in the attic door.

"Prue!" Payton called out in tears. "Help!"

"I can't. They are your fears. Only you can defeat them." Prue replied. "You have to conquer your fear by trusting in yourself and others."

"We already tried that!" Payton called out.

"Actually, we didn't." Henry replied as he suddenly realized something. "We did not beat our own fears, we beat each other's fears. You stopped Slappy and I stopped Cinderhella. If we want to defeat them, we have to do it ourselves."

"How?" Payton asked.

"The book, what did it say?" Henry asked. "Trust in the greatest of all powers?"

"The greatest of all powers." Payton repeated softly as she looked at her sister, who smiled and nodded at her. A confident smile appeared on Payton's lips. "Love, the greatest of all powers is love. That is how we beat them."

"What?" Henry asked.

"Trust me." Payton said. "We need to trust in ourselves. We're all family and we love each other, right? If we stand together, they cannot beat us."

"Are you kidding me?" Henry remarked skeptically.

"Oh, get over yourself." Payton said. "Stop acting like a guy and just admit your feelings. You love your family and you trust us."

"Okay fine." Henry replied. "As long we don't have to hold hands and sing about it."

Henry stepped forward and faced Slappy as he crawled up and faced him with his chainsaw raised. Henry looked at his worst fear and focussed on love instead of fear. He remembered his family as they grew up together, like Wyatt and Chris teasing him with the Slappy doll and his mother comforting him afterwards and making them apologize. He remembered them saying it was just a stupid doll and Henry realized that that was all Slappy was, a stupid ugly clown doll. He was not a little kid anymore, so why should he still be scared of it?

"You don't scare me anymore, Slappy." Henry said. "Clowns are just annoying as hell."

Slappy screamed angrily as charge forward with the chainsaw, but Henry remained standing and faced his fear. The clown dissolved in dust before the saw could hit him. All that remained of Slappy was the doll, which fell on the floor.

"I can't believe that worked." Henry remarked.

"I told you, idiot." Payton said as she stepped forward and faced her own fear, the horribly disfigured serial killer in the prom dress.

"You cannot defeat me. I will have my revenge." Cinderhella called out. "The crown is mine."

"Oh shut up, you're not in your stupid movie anymore." Payton said. "You're not even real, just some fictional, pathetic freak. And you don't scare me."

Cinderhella screamed and flung her knife, which Payton avoided by moving her head and it became stuck in the wooden wall before it dissolved. Cinderhella looked in horror and started to run away, though she tripped over her own dress and fell on the floor. Her prom crown fell over her head and rolled over to Payton. As Cinderhella looked up, Payton smiled confidently and stepped on the crown, smashing it. The serial killer screamed out in fury as she dissolved into dust.

"Oh my god." Payton said as she took a sigh of relief. "We did it."

"Nice work." Prue complimented them as she stepped into the attic. "It shows that love and trust really is the most powerful force in this world."

"How did you figure it out?" Payton asked

"Oh, I had a little help." Prue replied with a smile.

In streams of white wisps, the spirit of a young man appeared next to her and they smiled at each other before fading away once more.

"Something you want to tell us?" henry asked with a frown.

"Later." Prue replied. "This is still far from over. We need to get downstairs and wake up Wyatt and Chris. Penny is still with them."

The three cousins left the attic and headed downstairs. As they left, Henry took one last look at the Slappy doll still lying in the floor. The thing still creeped him out and he was getting rid of it as soon as he could, but at least he was no longer scared of it like he used to be. The power of love, he was embarrassed to admit it had actually worked. He closed the attic door and followed his cousins. Like Prue said, it was far from over.

Xxx

With a powerful force, Penny Halliwell was thrown across the attic in the dream world and crashed into the large standing mirror. A moment later, she heard Chris scream as he was thrown on the floor next to her and crashed into a chair. They exchanged looks and crawled up as Wyatt came walking at them with an Energy Ball in each hand. Chris raised his arms defensively, but Penny grabbed them and put them down.

"Wyatt stop this." Penny called out. "Stop letting Barbas manipulate you, you're not evil. What happened in the past doesn't matter you're not that person."

"The potential is still there, and I decided to embrace it." Wyatt stated. "Join me and kneel or I will destroy you."

"We're never going to bow down to you, Wyatt. Not in this world or the real one." Chris replied.

"Not helping." Penny whispered to him before turning to Wyatt. "I saw everything that happened in your mind. The only reason you turned evil was because you were too powerful. All that power was bound to corrupt you. But now that power is gone."

"But the evil remained." Wyatt replied.

"That is just your fear talking." Penny said. "You know better. You're a good person and your family loves you. Don't give that up."

"I offered you to join me. Chris will never give in, but you and the others still could." Wyatt said as he let the Energy Balls dissipate. "We will be powerful, unstoppable, I can keep all of you safe, you can all be happy."

"We can never truly be happy like that, Wyatt." Penny said. "Our parents raised us better than that, they raised us to be good. You are good."

"So you reject me as well." Wyatt stated bitterly. "If you are not with me, you are against me."

Wyatt raised his arm and clutched his fist. Penny felt a force around her throat starting to choke her. She fell to her knees as she grabbed her throat and gasped for air. Chris yelled at Wyatt and charged at him, but he thrown against the wall. Penny felt her air running and panicked, as she knew that dying inside a dream world would kill you in real life as well.

"_Chris_." Penny called out telepathically. "_You're the only one who can bring the good Wyatt back. Whatever happened, whatever was said, you need to believe in him. Do not fall for Barbas' manipulation. Wyatt is your brother, you need to love him and bring him back. Do not give up!_"

Penny desperately hoped that Chris understood and message. Time was running out. She was running out of air, so she did the only thing she could think out. She focussed on the connection between their minds and severed it. A wave of bright light engulfed her as she thrown out of the dream world and back into reality.

With a gasp for air, Penny woke up in her real body and coughed as she sat up. She looked up and saw the concerned faces of Prue, Payton and Henry around her. She tried to speak, but all she could do was cough. It all depended on Chris now.

Xxx

Chris stumbled down the stairs of the manor and tried to make it to the front door. The words Penny had spoken to him telepathically still echoed in his mind. She had told him he could not give up on Wyatt, that he was good and that he needed to believe in him and bring him back. However, Chris was not convinced that he could. Part of him was bitter that Wyatt had kept such a secret from him all these years. However, he was more conflicted about Bianca. Although he did not truly know her, her death had affected him somehow. Wyatt had killed her for being in the way, just like he had tried to kill Penny only moments ago for refusing to join him. How could he believe in someone with that much potential for evil?

Just as Chris reached the front door, an Energy Ball flew past him and combusted as it hit the door, sending him flying back into the main hall. Wyatt stepped down the stairs and faced his younger brother lying on the floor and groaning in pain.

"You can't escape me, Chris." Wyatt said.

"Wyatt." Chris whispered in pain. "Why are you doing this?"

"Like I explained before, this evil was inside me. I merely gave in." Wyatt said. "I offered you a place at my side and you refused. You're too big of a risk."

"So kill me!" Chris called out angrily. "If you're really that evil, if you really don't care, then kill me!"

"Very well, you give me no choice." Wyatt said.

As his older brother towered over him, he raised his hand and an Energy Ball formed. Wyatt looked down on his brother while Chris returned his stare. Wyatt still seemed pure evil, though for a moment, Chris noticed a shimmer of doubt in his eyes. Perhaps Wyatt was not as lost as he believed. What if despite everything, he still could not really kill his own brother? Penny's words echoed through his head, the only thing that could beat fear was love. And Chris knew that Wyatt loved his family more than anyone.

"Go on, what are you waiting for?!" Chris called out.

"Shut up!" Wyatt screamed at him in frustration and he took a step back. "Why do you have to be such a stubborn fool?!"

"You can't do it, can you?" Chris said as he crawled up to his feet. "You can't kill me. Because you know this isn't you. This is just a fear."

"Enough!" Wyatt screamed as he threw the Energy Ball, which flew past Chris by a feet and blasted the wall instead.

"You missed." Chris remarked. "At this range? I am right in front of you. If you truly wanted to kill me, you could have."

"I don't want to kill you! Don't you get that?" Wyatt replied.

"I do." Chris said. "But you have to make a choice, Wyatt. Either you give into your fear and end up alone, or be brave and face your fear. If you give in, you will lose everything you care about, but if you're brave enough, your family will be there to love and support you. So which will it be?"

Wyatt looked at his brother for a moment and turned away, though Chris saw the conflict in his eyes. He had done all he could, not it was up to Wyatt himself to decide if he could beat his fear. Wyatt began to scream and energy started surging from his body as he fell to his knees. Like dark cloud, the evil washed out of him and he returned to his old self, the darkness disappeared. Wyatt then stopped screaming and remained staring at the floor. Chris stood frozen for a while, unsure of what to do or say, but knew he had to say something.

"Wyatt?" Chris asked concerned.

"I am okay." Wyatt said softly as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I just need a minute."

Suddenly a scream filled the fake manor in the dream world and Barbas appeared in a cloud of smoke. He looked drained and weakened, and Chris realized that Wyatt beating his fear had cost Barbas his power.

"You fool, you could have had unlimited power." Barbas hissed at Wyatt.

"Not at the cost of everyone I love." Wyatt replied as he rose to his feet. "Your games are over, Barbas. Now get out of my mind!"

"Oh, oh." Barbas laughed. "You think you have won, don't you? You think that concerning your fears has somehow defeated me? I am the demon of Fear, I can never be defeated."

"At least your hold on us has been broken." Chris said. "We're no longer yours to manipulate and pit against each other."

"I don't need to." Barbas replied. "The damage has already been done. Can you honestly look your brother in the eyes and say that you trust him? That there is not a small part in either of you that still doubts if he could ever turn evil again?"

Chris fell silent as he felt Wyatt looked at him. As much as he loved his brother and wanted to deny it, he would be lying to himself if he sad he was truly at peace. Apparently, Wyatt felt his hesitation as he turned away.

"So you think you've won?" Chris asked. "You tried to kill us and you failed. We will get past this, but you won't be around much longer."

"Oh, but I already got what I wanted." Barbas said. "You see, I could not have returned from purgatory on my own. I needed a little power boost, so I sought out someone who could help me get what I needed. All he asked was that I used this borrowed power to take you out."

"But you failed." Wyatt replied.

"Did I?" Barbas asked. "Seems to me I got you right where I wanted. I never intended to kill you myself, but merely soften you up a bit."

"So who is this mysterious friend of yours?" Wyatt asked.

"Boys, do you really need to ask?" Barbas remarked with a fiendish smile.

"The Source." Chris concluded. "It's always him."

"Well, now that we got that little twist out of the way, I think it is time for me to take my leave." Barbas said as he took a bow. "I'll be seeing you in your nightmares."

Barbas started to laugh and it echoed through the dream world and he disappeared in streams of black smoke. Chris looked at his brother, but Wyatt refused to look at him. He wondered if he was ashamed at himself or angry at Chris, or possibly both. Chris wanted to say something, but suddenly the entire dream world started to shake. Furniture started to disappear and the walls started to crumble down as the entire world became engulfed in white light. Chris felt himself getting pulled from this world and being thrust back into reality.

Xxx

The following morning, everyone had gathered around the dining room table after spending the night in the manor, since everyone was too exhausted and beat down to do anything else. There was an awkward silence in the room as everyone avoided looking at each other. They had all shared their personal fears and encounters, though everyone had been shocked by the revelation about Wyatt and the secrets he and their parents had been keeping from them for years. Nobody quite knew how to handle it or even talk about it. Eventually it was Henry Jr. who broke the silence.

"So that happened." Henry remarked dryly. "What is going to happen now?"

"I think we all need some time to process." Prue said. "I think we all need some time to recharge and figure out how we go from here."

"Shouldn't we at least discuss the biggest issue here?" Penny asked.

"Do you mean the fact that I might be evil or the fact that I've lied to all of you all these years." Wyatt asked as he stared at the table.

"Both, I guess." Penny said uncomfortably.

"We'll have time for that later." Chris suddenly said determined as he slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "We need to focus on the bigger threat here."

"You mean Barbas?" Payton asked.

"No, not Barbas. He merely played his part in something much bigger." Chris said. "Ever since that dinner party at Les Trios, there has been one constant factor in all our problems. Something that seems determined to destroy our family and make us suffer as much as possible. And I say it is time to end it. I say it is time we go after the Source of All Evil directly."

Xxx

One more chapter coming up, please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Legacy 103: The Source of All Fear

Chapter 8

Xxx

Early in the afternoon, Prue Halliwell returned to the apartment and took off her coat. After spending the night at the manor, she was in desperate need of a warm shower and fresh clothes. At times, she could still feel the slippery snakes on her skin and she just wanted to forget all the horrible things that had happened. She headed to the bathroom, though as she reached for the door handle, Matt appeared in front of her in white wisps.

"God, you scared me." Prue said as she caught her breath.

"Sorry, I did not mean to." Matt replied.

"Where have you been, I have been looking for you." Prue said.

"I went to check on Caroline." Matt admitted with a sad expression. "She really seems to be over me. I guess I am glad that she's happy."

"I'm sorry, I know she meant something to you." Prue said.

"Thanks, we could have had something, but it was not meant to be." Matt replied. "So I guess she is not the thing keeping me from moving on."

"I know." Prue said. "So we still need to figure out what is. We can do that."

"I am not sure we can." Matt said. "I've been thinking a lot, you've really opened my eyes. I don't think it is one unresolved thing that is keeping me here. I think its life itself I am not ready to give up on. I barely got a chance to life and do what I want."

"Matt, you know you can't change the natural order." Prue said concerned. "I know your death was unfair, you did not deserve it, but we cannot change what happened."

"I know." Matt admitted.

"So what do you want?" Prue asked.

"Just a little more time." Matt said as he looked at her hopefully. "Meeting you has been one of the best things that has happened to me. I feel there is something between us."

"Matt, you're ghost." Prue said. She had felt the same thing, but she could not admit to it, since it was impossible.

"All I ask for is a week, just a week to spend some time with someone who can actually see me." Matt said. "Help me fulfil my spiritual bucket list."

"A week?" Prue asked doubtfully.

"Just a week, then I will be ready to cross over." Matt promised.

Prue felt conflicted, as she liked Matt and wanted what was best for him, but a part of her realized that spending another week with each other would only make things more difficult for both of them. She looked at his bright and hopeful eyes and caved.

"Alright, one week." Prue said against her better judgement. "Now get out of here, I need a shower. And there had better be no ghostly peeking."

"Please, I am a perfect gentleman." Matt replied with a smile.

As Matt disappeared from the apartment in white wisps, Prue wondered if she had just set herself up for heartbreak. Sure they could spent the week together, but would it be fair to either of them if they were forced to say goodbye at the end of that week? She decided she could not think about it right now. After what she had just been through, and after Matt had helped her face her fears, she needed some fun in her life.

Xxx

At the same time, Wyatt Halliwell headed out of the manor and sat down on the front steps with a cup of coffee in his hand. He figured he could use some fresh air and sunlight to clear his mind, yet his mind would not grant him peace. He had barely slept last night as the memories of what had happened kept repeating in his mind. He had been forced to relive his worst nightmares and his biggest fear, not to mention he had tried to kill his own brother and cousin. Now everyone knew the secret he had buried deep inside, and he did not know how to handle it.

As he was lost in thought, he barely noticed Chris heading outside and sitting down next to him. They had not really spoken about anything yet, and Wyatt was worried about how they could go on with this standing in between them.

"Are you really sure you want to go after the Source directly?" Wyatt asked after a while.

"I am don letting him mess up our lives." Chris said as he stared into the air. "As long as he is out there, he is a threat."

"I agree, but going after him will be the most dangerous thing we've ever done. I am not sure we're ready for that right now." Wyatt said.

"What do you suggest? Waiting around for him to make another move?" Chris asked with a frown.

"I am saying that going after him now might not be a smart move." Wyatt said. "I mean, you can barely look at me. We need to be able to depend on each other."

"Well, that is the problem, Wyatt." Chris said accusingly. "After everything I've just learned, I am just not sure I can depend on you."

"What are you saying?" Wyatt asked carefully.

"I am saying that you're my brother, and I will always love you." Chris said as he stood up. "But I am not sure I can ever fully trust you again."

Before Wyatt could say something, Chris disappeared in a column of orbs. Wyatt swallowed his words and supressed his tears. All these years, Chris had been more than a brother, he was also his best friend. Now Wyatt felt like it was all over and it hurt more than he could express. He stood up and entered the manor, heading straight for the attic. There, he placed five candles in a circle and lit them. There was only one person he could talk to right now, one person who would understand. He started to chant;

"_Hear these words, hear my cry _

_Spirit from the other side _

_Come to me, I summon thee _

_Cross now the Great Divide_."

Wyatt took a deep breath as white orbs started to swirl in the circle and took the shape of a very familiar figure that he missed every single day of his life. His mother looked at him with a pained expression and Wyatt realized that she already knew everything that had happened. He tried to speak, but the words remained trapped in his throat. Piper smiled and stepped out of the circle, gaining corporeal form in order to hug her eldest son. As he felt her arms around him, Wyatt gave in to his emotions and started to cry.

Xxx

In the underworld, the Source screamed in pure rage and the torches in the cavern combusted in violent flames. His dark eyes turned to pure flames and he incinerated a demonic guard standing by the door, who screamed in agony. Feeling somewhat relieved, the Source then closed his eyes and focussed on the one his anger was aimed at. Barbas appeared in the cavern in several streams of smoke and avoided a Fireball the Source threw at him, which exploded against the wall.

"You have betrayed me!" The Source screamed. "I loaned you a portion of my power so you could kill the Halliwells. Instead you play mind tricks and let live."

"Well, violence has never been my style." Barbas replied casually, unimpressed by his rage.

"I should incinerate you where you stand." The Source called out. "Nobody betrays me!"

"If you could, you have already done so." Barbas remarked.

"You said you would destroy them." The Source said.

"Simply killing the witches is no fun at all." Barbas said. "I broke their spirits, crushed their trust."

"All you did was motivate them to come after me." The Source called out angrily. "Or was that your plan all along?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Barbas replied with a shrug and a grin.

"So you did." The Source concluded. "You never intended to help me or destroy the Halliwells. You planned all of this so you could return to the physical word through my power, only to turn the Halliwells against me. That way, you'd take out two threats at once without lifting a finger."

"Well, what can I say?" Barbas replied proudly. "You were right not to trust me."

"I will kill you for this. I will find a way to destroy you once and for all." The Source warned him.

"You cannot destroy fear!" Barbas called out. "Nothing can. No matter how many times I am beaten, I will always rise again."

Suddenly, Barbas disappeared in smoke and reappeared behind the Source, where he sunk a blade deep in his back. He then placed one hand on his forehead and the other around his throat. The Source furiously stared at his rival with his dark eyes while the Demon of Fear pulled his head backwards and brought his face close to his.

"I can smell your fear and your weakness." Barbas whispered. "I have read your fears and it will come true. The Haliwells will discover your secret. This handsome, young face you wear at the moment will not protect you much longer. I wonder how they will react when they discover the connection. Do you think they will be able to vanquish their own flesh and blood?"

Barbas laughed manically as he let go of the Source and dissolved in a large cloud of smoke that broke apart in several streams before disappearing. The Source coughed as he dragged himself to a basin with water and pulled himself up. He pulled the blade from his back and threw it in the water, causing it to color red with his blood. He stared at his reflection in the water, and found the face of his own son staring back at him.

xxx

To Be Continued...


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